Fangs of the Father
by Umei no Mai
Summary: Kagome had been attuned to youkai blades from the very beginning. That the blades formed from the Dog General's fangs took a fancy to her was likely a product of the deceased Inutaisho's unusual fondness for human females: What a daiyoukai wants, he gets.
1. Perception

**Perception**

…..

**First Impressions**

Kagome's first impression of Inuyasha was of a beautiful, dog-eared boy pinned to tree with an arrow through his heart, fast asleep.

**Second Thoughts**

Her unfortunate and indelible second impression was of an angry, confused and hurting teen who thought she was someone he knew and refused to listen to reason. That second impression carried over to permanently colour how she percieved the young inu-hanyou; she could not help but care for the boy, but she never saw him as other than a much younger and extremely bad-tempered sibling rather than an equal.

**Illusions**

Kagome never forgot that Inuyasha always saw another woman when he looked at her. True, she did her best to behave as differently as possible to how her companion described his lost love as being, but that led inescapably to unpleasant and unwelcome comparisons. The subjugation necklace saw heavy usage on those days.

**Care**

Kagome was persistent and very open in expressing her emotions to the hanyou she saw as an adoptive little brother. The pain and distrust he radiated spoke of a harsh life and she hated seeing people in pain. Inuyasha latched onto her almost immediately despite his underlying anger, confusion and general social ineptitude. Clearly -on some basic, instinctive level- he knew a good thing when he saw it.

**Safety**

Kagome knew she was both vulnerable and ignorant in the strange, alien world of feudal Japan. Inuyasha -for all she didn't really trust him- was all the protection she had.

* * *

><p>AN: This is just a fun idea I had. Drabblefic.


	2. Pack

**Pack**

….

**Instincts**

Inuyasha had never had a pack before. In fact, he only knew what 'pack' _meant_ because his Inu instincts insisted that Kagome was pack and that the way she behaved around him and the way she treated him were what _made_ her pack. Since it gave him purpose and a structure to work with on her stupid quest, he went along with it. Plus, it felt right.

**Bitch**

Kagome was the alpha female of his little pack, his equal and sometimes -more often than not, he suspected- his superior. The damn subjugation necklace gave her an advantage over him that was positively unfair.

Inuyasha occasionally forgot that 'bitch' was an insult among humans, and was unfailingly 'sat' by Kagome for using it when referring to her. She was still precious to him, though. The yummy noodles and other treats she brought back from the future were just excuses. He did care, really.

**Brother**

Inuyasha didn't give a damn that Sesshoumaru was his half-brother and -technically- pack. The asshole was going _down_.

**Pup**

Shippo was the pack's kit; specifically Kagome's kit, which further confirmed her status as alpha bitch. Only the alpha got to have pups. He was also competition, vying with the hanyou for Kagome's attention every minute of the day. However frustrating Inuyasha found the little pest, he did sometimes wonder if this was what having a little brother was supposed to be like.

If so, Sesshoumaru was totally overreacting. Or, more likely, had absolutely no sense of humour whatsoever.

**Confusion**

Kikyou... Inuyasha didn't know where she fitted. She should have been his mate and alpha female but she was both dead and running around with the enemy. So the half-demon just ignored the problem and hoped it would go away without his intervention.

**Beta**

Miroku joined up as beta male. Intelligent and perceptive, he was a good planner if not much of a fighter. He was also an unrepentant pervert, but Kagome seemed to know _exactly_ how to handle that problem. The shouts of "Hentai!" and the sound of ringing slaps rapidly became commonplace in Inuyasha's little pack.

**Beta Revisited**

Sango's addition to the Inutachi pushed Miroku from beta male to omega; Sango was a warrior and refused to accept the perverted houshi as an equal, let alone a superior. _She_ was beta, gender be damned. Oddly enough Miroku didn't seem to mind, although he challenged the status quo at least twice a day. The 'thwack' of the tajina whacking the monk over the head with her hiraikotsu became just another part of daily life.

**Extra**

Kirara was a most welcome addition to the little pack; Miroku had slowed them down since Inuyasha could only just carry Kagome, Shippo and the supplies without becoming overloaded. The firecat could easily carry both monk and demon slayer with room to spare, making rapid getaways much less stressful.

* * *

><p>A little insight into Inuyasha's way of seeing things.<p> 


	3. Fang

**Fang**

….

**Protector**

Kagome never once saw Inuyasha as her protector. That position was taken by someone else, a personality the rest of the Inutachi was almost completely unaware of.

**Encounter**

The time-travelling miko's first impression of the individual who would become her closest and dearest companion was of a grubby, bloodstained and dreadlocked man in battered armour with jagged blue markings along his cheekbones leaning heavily on a rusted and tattered sword in the tomb of Inuyasha's father. The hurt on the man's face when the thoughtless hanyou pronounced the blade 'a piece of crap' made her heart reach out to him. It was only then, as she reached out to comfort him, that she noticed his distinctly youkai aura.

**Defence**

When Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru started to fight each-other the grubby youkai -who looked disconcertingly like an adult cross between the two feuding half-brothers- beckoned her over, inviting her to take the blade neither male had been able to touch. She'd just picked it up when the furious daiyoukai had turned from Inuyasha and tried to kill her. Fortunately, her new friend had wrapped his aura around her and protected her from harm.

**Blade**

Once Inuyasha took the battered blade from her and turned on Sesshoumaru, the strange youkai's appearance changed drastically. True, his armour was still battered, his clothing still worn and his hair still dreadlocked and roughly tied back with a scrap of silk, but he no longer appeared at all tired or grubby. That was the moment -as the rejuvenated youkai drew a slender bone blade with no guard or hilt wrappings from his obi- when Kagome realised her new guardian angel was the sword Inuyasha had come here to find.

Which explained very neatly why no-one else had so much as noticed his presence.

* * *

><p>Introducing Tessaiga, who -as the observant will have noticed- looks a lot like Inutaisho. Mwahahar.<p> 


	4. Tessaiga

**Tessaiga**

…

**Dogged**

After Inuyasha took up his father's fang to protect her, Kagome was summarily forced to adapt to the new shadow that only she could see. Tessaiga was six foot three inches tall, highly expressive, slightly perverted -well he _was_ male- and never, ever left her side. Not even for private or embarrassing things like emptying her bladder behind the bushes.

**Bathing**

The first bath with the sword-spirit guarding her had been... trying. True, he had turned his back while she undressed and got into the water. True, he had spent most of his time stalking around the hot spring looking out for potential intruders. His eyes had not once strayed over her person. However, having a large and admittedly very attractive male walking around while you are _bathing naked_ is very distracting and embarrassing when you are a fifteen year old girl who has never so much as been kissed before. Even if said male does not exist in the strictest sense.

**Thief**

Tessaiga hated Kikyou. Absolutely loathed and detested her. If Inuyasha had heeded the sentient sword's furious whispers the hanyou would have blasted her apart as soon as the witch had brought the undead miko into being. Tessaiga was _Kagome's_ protector and anything that stole part of her soul had no right to any mercy whatsoever.

**Forward**

Tessaiga even followed Kagome through the well and into the future, which was very weird. Seeing an armoured, armed demon in feudal dress wandering around modern-day Tokyo without anyone paying him any mind was even more deeply strange. Especially since he stared at everything and was impossibly curious about anything he failed to recognise.

It did make dealing with Hojo very trying though; the sword-spirit would glower at the clueless boy like he wanted to dismember him. If looks could kill Hojo would have been long dead.

**Mortification**

The most embarrassing moment _ever_ involving Tessaiga occurred fairly early in their travels, just after Miroku joined them. Kagome had just got used to the fact that the sword-spirit was _never_ going to leave her alone and would _always_ be present regardless of what she was doing, and was bathing in a hot spring while her invisible guard kept an eye on their surroundings. Kagome had learned there was method to this madness: If she was attacked in Tessaiga's presence, Inuyasha would be instantly alerted to her plight and come dashing to the rescue. Provided he was actually paying attention, of course.

However as she reached for her towel on this particular occasion she fell over sideways when Tessaiga landed on top of her, completely enveloping her body with his own and concealing her aura just as he had done in the Dog General's tomb. Kagome lay perfectly still, almost paralysed by fear as a large and obviously blind demon blundered into the clearing, sniffed around for a little then wandered away again. Several excruciatingly long minutes later Tessaiga had risen off her, looked around carefully then turned to face her.

His eyes had widened, darkened then shone as his mouth widened into an appreciative smile. Only then had Kagome realised she was lying on her back, stark naked and giving a male she barely knew a full view of everything. Blushing furiously she had snatched up her towel, turning her back on her hentai protector who had had the gall to give her a very thorough once-over before also turning around. She couldn't even shout at him for fear of attracting the attention of another demon, or bring Inuyasha over to ask why she was berating the empty air.

For months afterwards, Tessaiga's darkly sparkling eyes and suggestive smirk made her blush at inconvenient moments.

**Silence**

Tessaiga never spoke to her; could not speak to her, as she was not his wielder. He was her silent companion, her voiceless protector. Inuyasha may have wielded the youkai blade, but Tessaiga was hers, not his. Not ever.

* * *

><p>A little more Tessaiga. I kinda like where this is going.<p> 


	5. Tenseiga

**Tenseiga**

...

**Witness**

Kagome did not notice that Sesshoumaru had a silent sword-shadow of his very own until her second encounter with the daiyoukai. Probably because the first encounter had been so... hectic.

**Elegance**

His face was very like Tessaiga's but far less lean and worn: Softer, gentler and less emotional altogether. His hair was neatly bound up on the back of his head in a formal samurai style and he wore a pristine floor-length kimono in blue and white. His only weapon was a tanto sheathed on the left-hand side of his obi and he looked like nothing but a pampered, peaceful minor lordling until you met his eyes.

Those fierce gold eyes held such wisdom, fortitude and compassion it took Kagome's breath away.

**Irritation**

More amusingly, the sword-spirit -who Kagome deduced was Tenseiga- spent the entire fight glaring daggers at Sesshoumaru. He did at least catch Kagome's eye, smile and wave goodbye when the daiyoukai eventually left, though. The time-travelling miko suspected Tenseiga severely disapproved of what Sesshoumaru had done to get that replacement arm.

**Doting**

Tenseiga adored Rin: the first time Kagome saw the little girl the elegant sword-spirit was patting her hair and following the energetic child around like a besotted nursemaid. Tessaiga had sniggered -if soundlessly- through that entire encounter, shoulders shaking helplessly.

**Propriety**

It was very difficult for Kagome to remain composed around Sesshoumaru because Tenseiga was continuously pouting, grumbling and rolling his eyes at the daiyoukai's unabashed arrogance. How the little miko managed not to laugh in the icy demon's face she never knew.

* * *

><p>Meet Tenseiga, the attractive but stubbon one. Tessaiga is the scruffy and emotional one. Next up is probably Tokijin, but I make no promises.<p> 


	6. Enlightenment

**Enlightenment**

….

**Truth**

Inuyasha liked to think that Kagome was his miko, his shard detector, but that was a lie. Kagome only stayed with the inu-hanyou for two reasons:

First, she did not want him hurt. He had suffered enough already.

Second, he was the only youkai she knew who would wield Tessaiga for her, and without Tessaiga she really would be in trouble.

**Teaching**

Unlike Inuyasha, Tessaiga cared about her personally. Instead of just expecting her to know things and keep up, the sword-spirit taught her things. Useful things, like which plants can be safely eaten by humans and which are only suited to youkai palates. He also taught her to set snares to catch rabbits, although she was too soft-hearted to do so unless truly desperate. More pragmatically he taught her how to fall without hurting herself, which considering how clumsy she was proved a valuable lesson.

He also gave her a rough grounding in youkai etiquette, which probably saved her life with Sesshoumaru on multiple occasions.

**Understanding**

Being a youkai blade, Tessaiga knew very little about how to train mikos. However, he did recognise that letting his precious charge remain an _untrained_ miko was just a disaster begging to happen. So the determined being insisted Kagome learn to meditate, so she could get a better grasp on her power. After all, power came from the soul regardless of whether the wielder was miko or youkai. Kagome proved a rather poor student -that she was still a hormonal fifteen-year-old at heart did not help- but her control over her spiritual abilities did improve. Sadly, the incompleteness of her soul prevented her from truly grasping who she was and what she was supposed to do.

Tessaiga really, really wanted to obliterate Kikyou for that.

**Combat**

Kagome had not really been taught how to shoot: Kaede and Inuyasha had handed her bow and arrows and expected her to know what to do with them. She was, after all, Kikyou's reincarnation and should know these things.

Well, except that Tessaiga insisted she wasn't.

It was the ever-energetic sword-spirit who corrected her shooting stance and played moving target so she could practice. He always 'died' melodramatically whenever she managed to send an arrow through a vital spot. He also taught her the very basics of stance and how to hold a sword, just in case. Oddly enough, blades came more naturally than bows, which made Tessaiga smirk knowingly and wiggle his eyebrows suggestively at her.

* * *

><p>How Kagome managed to survive, considering nobody actually taught her anything.<p> 


	7. Tokijin

A very big thankyou to all those people who've written reviews for this fic. Barely up a day and a whole host of encouragement!

**Tokijin**

...

**Loathing**

Kagome detested Tokijin, mainly because there was absolutely nothing she could do about him. The immense, purple-skinned and long-horned sword-spirit loomed behind Sesshoumaru and _leered_ at her, his glowing eyes filled with the desire to torture and maim. Tenseiga stood carefully to one side and out of reach of the abomination, his face a mask of aloof disgust. Tokijin was the shadow of the fang of Goshinki, who had been Naraku's spawn before Inuyasha slew him; he was _unclean._

**Safeguards**

The only things that prevented her from completely breaking down and behaving like a crazy person around the revolting apparition were Tessaiga and, contradictorily enough, Sesshoumaru himself.

**Defensive**

Tokijin feared Tessaiga just a little since the fang had been the instrument of his demise. This lead the over-protective sword-spirit to stand a little in front of his miko charge and snarl at Tokijin whenever the ogre-like spirit was present.

Inuyasha generally misinterpreted this animosity, believing it to be directed at Sesshoumaru rather than the tainted sword the daiyoukai carried, which did not help in the slightest. Tenseiga would huff delicately and turn to examine their surroundings whenever these confrontations got going, leading Kagome to wonder why Sesshoumaru carried the compassionate blade in the first place, since it clearly and deliberately ignored him most of the time.

**Confinement**

Sesshoumaru's presence made Tokijin bearable because the daiyoukai's powerful aura chained the evil sword to his side: Unlike Tessaiga and Tenseiga, Tokijin could not stray more than two feet away from his master.

It was Tokijin, rather than Sesshoumaru himself, that made Kagome wary of straying within arm's reach of the Lord of the West. Sesshoumaru's own presence and youki were similar enough to Tessaiga's -and Inuyasha's, though she barely dared acknowledge that thought for fear the daiyoukai would kill her for it- that the little miko could not blindly fear him. Stupid though it sounded, the Killing Perfection _felt_ safe.

Even though he most definitely was _not._

* * *

><p>Tokijin, as promised. Yuck.<p> 


	8. Broken

Over 1000 hits already! And it's kinda ironic that this fic has a quarter of the reviews 'Another Player in the Game' with only twentieth of the words, if that. But hey, you guys like it and it is much, much lower effort. i recognise that 100k plus words is a bit heavy for most people. Now, on with the show!

**Broken**

…

**Fear**

The day Goshinki broke Tessaiga numbered among the most terrifying in Kagome's life. Her brash, gentle and patient protector just collapsed like a broken puppet as a painful cracking sound echoed through the clearing and the blade in Inuyasha'a hands snapped like a chopstick. Kagome barely noticed the inu-hanyou's berserk transformation and bloodthirsty slaughter of their foe until the barely-conscious sword-spirit tried to push her out of the way of the mindless rampage.

She was extremely fortunate in that the subjugation necklace had actually been enough to bring Inuyasha back to his right mind; Tessaiga had no more physical form than a gust of wind and could only act against others through a wielder.

**Loss**

The journey to find Totosai the swordsmith so Tessaiga could be mended was the most harrowing experience the time-travelling miko could remember. For months she had been safe, protected -cherished even- and now her guardian could barely walk, dripped insubstantial blood that oozed youki to her miko senses and could not so much as move either of his arms. Kagome felt vulnerable and exposed the entire trip, eyes darting around to watch her surroundings and not daring to stray from the main party for more than a minute at a time.

Then she felt bitterly guilty for fearing for herself while Tessaiga staggered unsteadily onwards in Inuyasha's wake, only just aware enough to put one foot in front of the other with eyes glazed over by pain. He looked like a dying man denied rest, a damned soul never to be released from his pain. And it hurt her more than anything.

**Rebirth**

Tessaiga was different after Totosai reforged him with Inuyasha's fang. Both his obi and bracers changed in colour from blue and grey to red and silver and the spiked pauldrons vanished altogether, increasing his freedom of movement. More unusually, instead of the single bone blade secured by the obi Tessaiga now wore an odd harness of leather straps that held a variety of sheaths. Tucked into this harness were the original katana-length fang and a new, shorter bone wazikashi with its hilt wrapped in red.

The sword-spirit also seemed younger and less worn after the reforging; his eyes straying to observe Kagome more often whenever he surveyed his surroundings.

**Spirit**

The changes the blade's reforging created confirmed to Kagome that fang-forged youkai blades reflected the soul of the one from whose fang the blade was made. Tessaiga and his twin, Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga, were both echoes of the dog General and held his youki flowing through them, but the reforging of the Sword of Destruction had given it a distinctly Inuyasha-like flavour around the edges.

* * *

><p>Curiosity has been expressed as to how the fang's reforging would affect Tessaiga. Well, here you are, MyDearGoddessofthemoonandsun: exposition. I think some Sesshoumaru insights will be next, but again, no promises.<p> 


	9. Sesshoumaru

To all those inquiring after Inutaicho: well, you'll have to wait and see, won't you?

**Sesshoumaru**

...

**Awareness**

Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands is above the silly human foolishness that insists hearing voices no-one else is aware of is a sign of insanity. He is a daiyoukai, the Killing Perfection, and he knows better.

**Instinct **

The first of Sesshoumaru's so-called 'voices' is his beast. Not really a true voice but a roiling amalgam of lesser emotions such as hunger, fury, lust, the thrill of the hunt and song of the night. Passion, violence and an utter indifference to all that is not pack or prey.

Sesshoumaru rules his beast with an iron fist, but recognises that in some instances its reactions are the most fitting possible.

**Conscience**

The second 'voice' is Tenseiga, who rarely makes himself heard unless it is to object -a low sense of anger and disapproval- or to withhold power, Rin's resurrection being the exception. The fang has its own priorities and Sesshoumaru lacks the inclination to pander to them.

**Temptation**

The third voice is Tokijin, the only one to actually communicate using actual words, which in itself is an indication of greater mental distance. Seductive whispers, random demands and vicious outbursts of apoplectic fury, Sesshoumaru ignores them all with unruffled calm. Tokijin is _his_ sword; he will not be ruled by it. He is not weak.

**Weakness**

Sesshoumaru does not believe Inuyasha is even aware that Tessaiga speaks to him. The foolish half-breed clearly heeds the sword's call -to protect the impertinent, half-trained miko who follows him around- yet treats it like it is any other human blade. It clearly informs him of things beyond his own, dull senses -such as danger to his charge while she is out of range- yet his ignorant younger sibling clearly believes it is his own instincts that warn him of such.

Worse, he actually ignores the blade when it offers him sound advice: that the half-breed allows the clay miko to persist after threatening his charge is a disgrace to his inu heritage; Sesshoumaru destroys all threats to _his_ ward as soon as they appear.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru is someone I rather like, despite his total lack of interest in anything not 'belonging' to him.<p> 


	10. Observation

Thankyou to all my reviewers for your support and encouragement. I hope this chapter satisfies the curiosity of those sending me questions!

**Observation**

…

**Anomaly**

Sesshoumaru believes he is the first to notice that something is not quite right about Inuyasha's odd miko. It is all in the eyes: her gaze dances around constantly, focusing on things no-one else can see.

**Pervasive**

The miko also feels different to how a human should, even one with holy powers; his father's youki lingers on her, so intertwined with her own aura her scent is altered by it, which the hanyou has utterly failed to notice. If anything it should be Inuyasha who experienced such a change: Tessaiga is the hanyou's inheritance and the fang never left his half-brother's side. The whelp _needed_ it to stay sane. Sesshoumaru could control himself without crutches, though he had been slightly altered by Tenseiga nonetheless.

Why then did it appear Tessaiga had bonded to the miko so deeply she was changed by it?

**Favour**

Tenseiga also behaved oddly around the immodestly dressed female. Rather than the distant disapproval he had long grown accustomed to, the fang murmured interest, going so far as to reach out to her from time to time. That she seemed _aware_ of the blade's attentions was... troubling.

The daiyoukai suspected this unnatural affinity had something to do with his late sire's ever declining taste in females, though he personally felt the miko was a better choice than Izayoi had been for all the blue-eyed girl's peculiar foibles. It did however prompt him to pay more attention to the unusual miko, who had somehow acquired a modicum of proper youkai manners that the hanyou lacked.

So where had she learned them?

**Fact**

After a few more deliberately engineered encounters Sesshoumaru determined that the miko's fear and dislike was not directed at his person, but rather at some entity that only she could see behind and a long way above his left shoulder. Her eyes constantly danced from that point down to his face, over to the right and a little up then back across again whenever she was in his presence. She also glanced at her comrades and his half-brother, but more of her attention was directed to some mobile point almost a foot higher than her head that moved around her immediate vicinity. Interestingly, that point and the one to his right appeared to be exactly the same height.

The trails of youki that permeated her damaged aura would flare whenever her drew near to her, seemingly in response to Tokijin's flaring hostility, as the chained fang raged impotently in its sheath whenever he approached her. This led the daiyoukai to believe it was the cursed sword the miko was repelled by. Considering its origins, he was not overly shocked. Her _awareness_ of it was another matter entirely.

**Affinity**

What caught Sesshoumaru's interest was that the miko responded instinctively to the moods of both his blades, her body language clear and highly expressive, if volatile. It drew his attention to the fact that she responded to Tessaiga as well despite rarely turning her attention toward the blade.

The desire to solve this mystery -and Tenseiga's evident approval of her person- persuaded him to allow the female to interact freely with Rin. The child needed to learn female things, for which the miko was an adequate role model, and it gave him further opportunities to investigate the oddity.

**Oblivious**

Sesshoumaru was now aware that the true alpha of the Inutachi was actually the miko herself, and strangely she did not seem to have any personal objections to his presence despite his previous attempts on her life, which was not a normal human response at all. It made him wonder how she had survived so long, since she clearly lacked the proper instincts for survival. He set the question aside, since it made it easier for him to investigate her secret.

That this behaviour reminded him of Rin he deliberately ignored.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru notices. He's Sesshoumaru, so he notices everything. That he actually wants to investigate is what is unusual, but Kagome does that to people.<p> 


	11. Touch

I thought I should introduce a bit of Kouga. He is fairly important after all.

**Touch**

…

**Kouga**

Kouga is an irritant; even Kagome admits it, if only within the privacy of her own mind. Tessaiga really, really dislikes the wolf, even more than he dislikes Hojo, going so far as to snarl at the deplorably dense youkai. Kouga's visits always rile up the sword-spirit, making him red-eyed and wild. For this reason Kagome is always exquisitely polite, so as not to give Tessaiga the slightest excuse to blast the grabby wolf into bloody shreds.

After Kouga leaves the party the sword-spirit prowls around her for hours, facial markings wide and jagged, eyes bloody scarlet. Kagome is always very eager and determined to bathe when that happens: the sooner the wolf-scent is off her, the sooner Tessaiga will calm down and give her a little space.

**Displaced**

Inuyasha believes that it is his possessiveness that flares when Kouga breezes through. That the almost homicidal need to stake his claim radiates from Tessaiga every time the wolf is in the area is never even noticed.

**Animosity**

The first time Kouga came visting after Tessaiga was reforged the sword-spirit wrapped his no-longer-entirely-insubstantial arms tightly around Kagome and aggressively flared his youki through her aura, which felt very strange indeed to the miko. The wolf, being as dense as a stack of bricks, barely even noticed the ire directed at his person. He did however seem vaguely aware that someone else was staking their claim on 'his woman' and tried extra-hard to persuade her to accept his suit. Kagome fended the wolf off with single-minded determination, almost painfully aware of the invisible arms clamped around her chest and hips and the furious, snarling face of her protector whose chin barely brushed the top of her head.

Tessaiga may have had no body, but he now seemed able to exert any amount of physical pressure on her person with little difficulty. While she generally disliked male possessiveness, she hadn't been able to bring herself to tell Tessaiga to let go.

Remembering that incident always makes her blush afterwards.

**Presence**

It made Kagome a little uneasy that the reforging made Tessaiga a little more... there. He could only just affect his surroundings with great effort -an improvement over not at all- but he could touch _her_ with no difficulty whatsoever. It was an oddly disembodied touch, as fleeting as if he were a delicate shell of empty air.

That did not however deter him from idly caressing her whenever he drifted within arm's reach.

**Intent**

Kagome did gradually get used to Tessaiga's obsession with touching her, ceasing to start when ghostly fingers trailed down her arms, caressed her hands and face or skimmed over the back of her neck. She even tolerated the gentle pressure on her back or around her waist while walking side by side and put up with the tickling feeling she got at least twice a day when he played with her hair, running his fingers over her scalp. Since he religiously avoided types of touch that could be considered disrespectful -he never, _ever_ groped her- she did not ask him to stop. Tessaiga could _only_ touch her; so long as he behaved respectfully she couldn't see why she should stop him.

Besides, it was nice to be hugged again; it made her miss her family a little less.

**Claim**

Kagome knows that Tessaiga, like Tenseiga, is an echo of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father, Inutaisho. She finds it deeply ironic that it is the dead inu-youkai, not the live one or the hanyou, who is so fiercely possessive of her person.

* * *

><p>Kouga is going to get himself killed with that suicidal determination of his.<p> 


	12. Presence

**Presence**

….

**Balance**

Kagome soon learned that Tessaiga's increased spiritual density corresponded to his increased physical density. Inuyasha could barely lift the fang now, let alone swing it in battle.

**Comparisons**

Kagome wouldn't have minded Inuyasha's obsessive devotion to Kikyou if the hanyou had understood that he didn't need to trash the living miko to prove he cared about the undead one; she wanted to be his sister, not his lover, so it wasn't a competition. It was the constant put-downs she couldn't stomach and the way Tessaiga vibrated with thwarted fury only compounded her misery.

The visceral agony on the sword-spirit's face at being unable to defend her from someone causing her pain made her heart ache for him.

**Fidelity**

Having Tessaiga stolen is a disaster for Inuysha, causing his inner demon to emerge all red-eyed and bloodthirsty. The subsequent killing spree is not a surprise.

It is less of a problem for Kagome: unless the fang accepts a new wielder, falling into the hands of a demon willing to use it to defend a human being, the sword-spirit will remain steadfast by her side. Her tall, armed shadow stands calmly beside her, watching the berserk hanyou through narrowed eyes throughout the débâcle.

**Suspicions**

The miko suspects Tessaiga enjoyed both the carnage and Inuyasha's self-revulsion on returning to his senses. The fang is not above petty revenge -it is essentially demonic- and the hanyou has been less than kind to Kagome of late. Plus, anything involving Kikyou brings out the worst in the blade and Inuyasha had been disappearing more often of late...

Kagome also worries about Sesshoumaru: the way he _looked_ at her during their exchange suggested he had noticed her behaviour was not normal. It also suggested a degree of curiosity. She does not need another stalker; three and a half -Inuyasha being the half with Tessaiga, Kouga and Naraku being exhibits A , B and C- are quite enough.

**Weight**

Ryuukotsusei frightened Kagome because Tessaiga was so very, very wary of the old dragon. Inuyasha's victory and creation of a new technique came as a welcome relief.

The new saw-edge that appears on the red-hilted wakizashi fang in Tessaiga's harness is a surprise, leading Kagome to wonder how many more new techniques the sword will acquire as they travel. However, Tessaiga becoming lighter to Inuyasha's hand has only made Kagome's ethereal guardian more solid than ever before. No-one else has noticed yet, but the grass now bends slightly under his feet as he walks.

She hopes very much that her friends never ask why she blushed and 'sat' Inuyasha while he was loudly boasting about his victory; It had been an automatic response to the kiss Tessaiga had enthusiastically gifted her with at the end of his own victory dance. The fang had, of course, found her reaction hilarious and kissed her again.

* * *

><p>A little more about Tessaiga and Kagome. I'm roughly following the anime episode list on the Inuyasha wiki for my basic plotline, but does anyone know where Sou'unga fits in the continuum? I have plans and I want them properly situated.<p> 


	13. Suspicions

**Suspicions**

…

**Insistence**

After the mess with Tsubaki, the dark priestess, Tessaiga was very subdued and clingy. He also picked up Kagome's miko lessons again, pushing her to better control and call upon her abilities in spite of her spiritual handicap.

His increased physical presence enables him to further tutor her in swordsmanship, leading to what the rest of the Inutachi believed to be inordinately long amounts of time spent bathing. His fanatical insistence that she be able to protect herself in a pinch was starting to attract attention: Shippo was asking questions in the evenings when she put him to bed, Sango eyed her oddly as they walked along the road and Miroku watched her with an unusually sober and thoughtful gaze.

Only Inuyasha was oblivious, but that was probably because he was mentally wrestling with the Kikyou issue.

**Hunted**

Sesshoumaru watches her too, now. They cross paths with the daiyoukai irregularly but often and Rin is permitted to play with Shippo while the two half-brothers argue and fight, at least until Kagome has set up a meal and calls the tachi to come and eat. The Lord of the West is subtle but persistent; she never catches him staring but can feel his piercing gold eyes on her nonetheless.

Teaching Rin about the fun things girls can do together is a welcome distraction for her deteriorating nerves.

**Noticed**

Kouga, of course, notices nothing. Ginta and Hakkaku, his two followers, are more observant and tread more carefully around the miko. The powerful youki colouring her pure aura and the change in the way she stands and moves tells them there is more going on with their 'sister' than meets the eye.

Both wolves bow politely to her before dashing off after their hapless leader.

**Lies**

Kikyou definitely knows something. For one, she knows beyond doubt that Kagome is not her reincarnation: the stolen chunk of Kagome's soul is the glue binding Kikyou's own soul within her clay body.

That the undead miko still persists in calling the living one 'my reincarnation' is nothing less than pure spite.

* * *

><p>This chapter is for Neo-crystal and MyDearGoddessofthesunandmoon, who gave me the necessary info for the next chapter. Sou'unga, coming up!<p> 


	14. Sou'unga

**Sou'unga**

…

**Worse**

Kagome had thought Tokijin was bad; Sou'unga is far, far worse.

**Fear**

She had always been subliminally aware that there was something nasty lurking somewhere in the shrine she called home. Her childhood nightmares had occasionally featured a putrid, carmine-eyed monster made entirely of endless strips of rotting flesh. That the creature that had terrorized her nights actually existed and inhabited a sword Inuysha had found _in her home_ nearly broke her entirely. Homes were supposed to be safe, not have evil swords lurking in them to ambush your friends.

**Defiance**

Tessaiga's fierce defence of his wielder -and the hanyou's own pig-headed stubbornness- was all that prevented the evil blade from taking Inuyasha over completely. As it was the dog-eared boy lost control of his arm to the thing and went half-berserk. Only Miroku and Sango's quick thinking prevented a massacre.

It was however Sesshoumaru who -with a little help from Kagome- managed to separate Inuyasha from the terrible blade.

Just being near the disgusting thing gives the miko the creeps: Nothing should look that foul and still be walking around.

**Cooperation**

In order to defeat Sou'unga Kagome must first achieve a far more difficult feat: get Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to stop bickering and work together for once. She fails miserably, but they do finally stop fighting when she and Rin are abducted by a former foe of the Dog General's that the evil blade has resurrected. They even manage to rescue the two girls together.

Kagome isn't really surprised Sou'unga used to be Inutaisho's sword; Sesshoumaru had to get his taste for evil, body-snatching swords from somewhere and his father was the most likely candidate. Tokijin is just as evil as Sou'unga, but far less powerful.

**Return**

After Sou'unga is defeated the Dog General's spirit speaks briefly to both his sons before vanishing again.

At least, appearing to vanish again. Kagome can still see him just fine; he looks like a cross between Tenseiga and the original Tessaiga, proving he is the prototype both blades hold echoes of.

That he has somehow attached himself to the time-travelling miko is again unsurprising; she has had his youki running through her aura and filling the gaps in her soul for months now. What is upsetting is that Inutaisho has taken back most of his essence from both blades, using their energy to anchor himself to Kagome.

Both sword-spirits re-emerge after a day or so, but they are now as transparent and ghostly as Tokijin, a far cry from their former selves. Tessaiga will never again be able to touch her.

**Replacement**

Kagome does not get a chance to miss Tessaiga: Inutaisho smoothly picks up where the sword-spirit left off and is both more solid and more thorough in what he does with her. Tessaiga only taught her things relevant to her survival; Inutaisho even tries to help her with her homework. The sword-spirit no longer approaches her, instead drifting around Inuyasha like Tenseiga does around Sesshoumaru and seems to have forgotten her almost entirely.

Inutaisho explains -another difference: he can _talk_ in her _head_- that he has taken the fang's memories of her as the blade was never intended to act as it did in the first place. It was a sword, not a bodyguard; the Dog General's reluctant death had left pieces of his soul attached to both his fangs and he had taken those pieces back.

Protecting Kagome is supposed to be Inuyasha's job, but the dead daiyoukai recognises that his son lacks the temperament, training and experience to do a proper job of it and offers to take Tessaiga's place in caring for her. Recognising finally that it had been Inutaisho caring for her all along -it was _his_ soul after all- Kagome accepts.

**Demand**

Nothing good ever comes of the words 'we need to talk'. That it is Sesshoumaru who says it to her fills Kagome with a sense of dread. Her new guardian just smiles, rubs her shoulders reassuringly then gently pushes her forwards after his eldest son.

* * *

><p>Finally, Sou'unga and a major turning point. Inutaisho returns!<p> 


	15. Confession

**Confession**

…

**Confrontation**

Sesshoumaru has been watching the shikon miko for a while now, so the abrupt change in her attitude after the defeat of Sou'unga is very evident to him. He decides therefore to confront her on the issue directly and discover the motivation behind her strange behavior both past and present.

More importantly, the Killing Perfection wants to know how the miko has managed to bond to his dead sire. The youki signature intertwined with her pure aura is unmistakable.

**Discourse**

"Miko, you will tell this Sesshoumaru how you have entered a bond with this one's father," the daiyoukai says flatly as soon as he and she were both thoroughly out of earshot of the rest of the combined company.

The little miko swallows, then looks up to meet his eyes, nervous but resolute. "That is a very long tale indeed, Sesshoumaru-sama," she says, fiddling with her hair. "Might we be seated for the telling of it?"

Sesshoumaru sits. The miko follows suit, eyes flicking in their usual fashion up above his left and down to his right then across to her own right. Then she starts talking, voice soft and polite. The tale is indeed long, and he would have disbelieved it or dismissed it as madness had it not explained almost everything that had puzzled him about her mannerisms and changing attitudes. The story's ending was however less than pleasing.

"This Sesshoumaru's honoured father's spirit has attached himself to you?"

"Aa, Sesshoumaru-sama," the miko squeaks, eyes flicking to her right again. The daiyoukai does not follow her gaze, instead firmly reasserting control over himself.

"How this one's father chooses to spent his afterlife is not this one's concern. This Sesshoumaru will not return to or speak of this conversation again unless the situation with this one's father changes further. However, this one will continue your lessons in swordsmanship in his father's place."

The miko blinks, shocked, then bows. "Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

**Duty**

After the conversation ends the daiyoukai leaves to collect his ward, thoughts swirling. His father's claim -even from beyond the grave- grants the shikon miko a position in the House of the West, meaning Sesshoumaru is now responsible for those parts of her education his father's ghost cannot cover. Inuyasha has no such responsibilities as the girl is his alpha and superior, despite her humanity.

He in fact has similar duties to Inuyasha, but the half-brothers' mutual loathing reduces their interactions to arguments and violent spars. The hanyou is getting better at holding his own in both, if rather slowly.

**Benefits**

An advantage to adding the little miko to his household is that he no longer needs to be concerned about incurring a debt to her with regards to Rin: It is now the miko's duty to see to it that his ward is properly educated in those matters concerning human females. The little girl is growing quickly and he is unsure at what age she will reach physical maturity, or what that maturity will involve. Fortunately that is no longer Sesshoumaru's problem.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru learns more than he bargained for. At least he recognises his responsibilities and shoulders them as appropriate.<p> 


	16. Training

**Training**

…

**Appropriate**

Shortly after leaving the bat village where Tessaiga gained a new, bright red cleaver-like blade with the ability to cut through barriers, Sesshoumaru intercepts the group again. He ignores Inuyasha completely and stalks over to Kagome, thrusting on her a squashy fabric bundle and a bokken made of demon bone like Sango's hiraikotsu.

"Change out of that immodest and impractical outfit and this Sesshoumaru will begin."

Kagome hurries behind a bush to change, by now more aware of how unsuitable her school uniform is for the era. The package contains a white kimono with fairly narrow sleeves and blue stripes on the left side, matching blue hakama and shoes like both Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho wear. The clothing matches the Dog Generals fairly closely, except his hakama are white like Sesshoumaru's and much baggier. She also lacks the armour both daiyoukai have, but those differences are still relatively marginal; her allegiance is on her clothing for all who understand such things to see.

She quickly dons the outfit -Inutaisho helping her fasten everything securely- grabs the blunt bone blade and dashes back to the group to 'sit' Inuyasha for being so deplorably rude to his elder sibling. Inutaisho rolls his eyes at the argument, but finds her resolution to it highly entertaining.

**Learning**

The Lord of the West is a harsh taskmaster, working Kagome to exhaustion at least twice a week and never once going easy on her. He wields Tenseiga when they spar and never once hesitates to wound her when she leaves a gap in her defence he can exploit, which is very, very often. Were Sesshoumaru using any other blade Kagome would have died in a hundred different ways by now, but Tenseiga is a gentle blade and leaves only shallow cuts for the miko to practice her healing on afterwards.

Inuyasha grumbles mutinously, but agrees to spar with her when Sesshoumaru is absent. Kagome suspects he is jealous and does not comment when the hanyou integrates some of Sesshoumaru's lessons into his own swordwork.

**Integration**

Even when she isn't sparring Inutaisho doesn't let her slack off: the ghostly inuyoukai drills her on demon etiquette and various common customs, political geography -who rules where- those traditions specific to the Western Lands, what little he knows of human traditions that is still valid and other random things like tactics, herblore and how to choose an appropriate outfit. The last one is more complicated than it looks and Kagome wishes sometimes that she'd come from a more traditional family. At least her tea ceremony is adequate.

Most of these lessons take place while they are on the move; when they stop for the night Kagome prepares dinner then works on her homework, generally with the Dog General peering over her shoulder and asking questions. Kagome enjoys the opportunity to be teacher rather than student and the spirit is deeply impressed by the depth and breadth of her knowledge.

Explaining her textbooks to her ghostly tag-along has the added benefit of making them more memorable.

**Reciprocity**

On one lesson day Sesshoumaru brings Rin and Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon he sometimes rides. The little girl plays happily with Shippo and Kirara while the daiyoukai first drills the miko in half-a-dozen new stances, then examines and occasionally corrects her as she runs through what she has already learnt. Finally he brutally defeats her over and over in a series of hit-and-run spars where she is expressly forbidden from using her holy powers.

Incidentally, having to _not_ use her abilities has improved her control dramatically. Her purifying ki no longer flares up randomly.

By the end Kagome's muscles have turned to jelly and her bones and wounds ache, but her one-armed teacher concedes she has improved sufficiently, for a human.

"This Sesshoumaru has business to attend to," he says as Kagone kneels on the ground and wheezes, trying to get her breath back. "Will you care for this one's ward while he is away?"

Kagome recognises this from her inu-etiquette lessons as being part of the give and take expected from her in her new position; in exchange for nominal protection and training she is expected to offer the same to Rin, who is also bound to the House of the West.

"I would be honoured, Sesshoumaru-sama," she gasps out, rising unsteadily to her feet so she can go and bathe.

"Good. This Sesshoumaru will leave Ah-Un with Rin; her belongings are in the saddlebags. He will obey your orders and Rin's as if this one had spoken them." With that the daiyoukai left the Inutachi, rising into the air and vanishing into the distance on his youki cloud.

Inuyasha is _not _pleased to have acquired an extra small child to keep an eye on for an indefinite period of time, but rather than targeting the girl spends the four days Rin is with them quietly needling Kagome about how she should have realised Sesshoumaru never did anything for free. The miko lets him gloat; he's been amazingly well-behaved about the whole thing.

**Teaching**

In addition to introducing Rin to an expanding repertoire of children's games, showing her how to cook and proper clothing care -her kimono is both grubby and ragged at the hems- Kagome teaches the little girl how to read. She is careful to stick to kanji; the phonetic scripts have migrated considerably between the feudal era and Kagome's time. Inutaisho helps her keep her lessons current, offering up poems and titbits from when he himself learned human script and calligraphy. Shippo joins these lessons, as well as the maths lessons and bedtime history lecture. Both children are enthralled by the stories Kagome tells about the exploits of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father, never realising that it is the Dog General himself who is telling them to Kagome for her to pass on.

* * *

><p>Because there are standards to be met. Inuyasha won't let Kagome dress as a miko because of the resemblance to Kikyou, but not once does he offer her alternative suitable clothing. Sesshoumaru on the other hand won't have her disgracing his House with her ridiculous attire.<p>

Inutaisho always struck me as being a more open and intellectually curious individual than either of his sons, likely because he was more secure in himself and his own power. From what Sesshoumaru's mother says, he is also a charming and caring individual and would not find telling bedtime stories to be beneath himself.


	17. Recognition

**Recognition**

…

**Trying**

Getting abducted by panther demons was acutely embarrassing for Kagome. While her bone bokken was far more useful than her bow in holding off enemies at close range, her control over her holy powers was still too poor for her to blast her captors into dust. She did at least manage to inflict burns and break a few bones, which was mildly satisfying. Inutaisho stayed by her side throughout the experience, visibly infuriated by the panther's actions but unable to do anything meaningful to them. Having his long-defeated enemies abduct his miko really wasn't going down well.

Kagome's only comfort was that the panthers weren't after the shikon shards she carried.

**Empathy**

Kagome understood Sesshoumaru's dislike of Inuyasha a little better after hearing how the daiyoukai had sought his younger brother's aid in defeating the panthers again only fifty years previously. True, the hanyou had been pinned to a tree at the time, but that was partly his own fault. Sesshoumaru felt, legitimately, that Inuyasha had shirked his duties as a son of the West.

Of course, if the daiyoukai were a little less persistent in his dislike Inuyasha might be willing to be a bit less pig-headed about things, but still.

**Excuses**

Miroku and Sango take advantage of their imprisonment with Kagome to ask about the abrupt change in Sesshoumaru's attitude towards her, a question the miko has been avoiding for some time. Kagome does her best to explain it away without mentioning her ghostly stalker; being the shikon miko and Inuyasha's alpha is enough -barely- to justify the diayoukai's actions. That Inuyasha is only able to wield Tessaiga because he is protecting her bolsters her flimsy statement.

**Discomfort**

Kagome really, truly wishes Kouga had not come to help rescue her. Not that it wasn't sweet of him and that his presence gave Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru an additional advantage, but Inutaisho turns out to be far, far more possessive of her than Tessaiga had ever been.

Considering the spirit daiyoukai is more solid than Tessaiga ever was, this possessiveness was intensely uncomfortable for the miko both inu and ookami are trying to claim. While Kouga grips her hands tightly and babbles boisterously about her being 'his woman' Inutaisho wraps his arms firmly around her hips and upper chest while nuzzling her throat, glaring daggers at the wolf with red eyes as his entire body vibrates with a rumbling growl.

Since the daiyoukai is wrapped as closely around Kagome's body as his armour will allow, the vibrations are transmitted through his body and into hers, making her knees wobbly and her breath short. Having the feral spirit lick and nip his way down her neck and across her collarbone only makes it worse.

**Claim**

It was only after she had successfully gotten Kouga to leave that Kagome realised Sesshoumaru had watched the entire thing. The Killing Perfection's face was unreadable, but she suspected he was well aware of what her body and aura were reacting to and why. That Inutaisho's only reaction to Sesshoumaru's calculating gaze was to briefly raise his head and snarl at his eldest son before going back to nuzzling and nipping all the exposed skin he could reach was more than a little mortifying. She was _very_ grateful that she no longer wore her school uniform; even slightly dishevelled, her new outfit left a lot less skin visible.

Yes, her lessons on inu-youkai culture told her Kouga way way out of line considering she was now officially protected by the House of the West; yes, she understood the Dog General -or even Sesshoumaru, scary thought- was both allowed and expected to act as the ghostly daiyoukai currently was, but the experience was a distinctly overwhelming one.

Plus the fact that her scent had probably given Kouga the wrong idea since the wolf was blissfully unaware of Inutaisho's presence.

**Attraction**

That she privately thought Inutaisho was the most gorgeous male she'd ever seen only intensified her responses to his possessiveness. True, she was a modern girl and her own person, but a very feminine part of her enjoyed the Dog General's fierce jealousy of other interested males and spontaneously tactile nature. It made her feel desirable.

Inuyasha had never made her feel beautiful; on the contrary, as far as the hanyou was concerned she could only ever be a poor substitute for Kikyou. The hanyou's father on the other hand made it abundantly clear that he found Kagome very attractive indeed.

* * *

><p>Panther demons and possessiveness. Inutaisho is a person not a construct so his responses are more genuine.<p> 


	18. Kagura

**Kagura**

...

**Likeness**

Kagura is a puzzle to Kagome. The pretty wind witch clearly hates Inuyasha, taking every opportunity offered to attack him and never once holding back. She is however fond of Sango's little brother Kohaku, who has been enslaved by Naraku using a shikon shard. Her sisterly behaviour is reminiscent of Sango's own in that respect.

The fervour with which she fights also brings the Slayer to mind; like Kagura, Sango enjoys her calling.

**Passion**

From what little Kagome has seen of their interactions, Kagura seems to have a thing for Sesshoumaru. It's well hidden, but Kagome has experience in this area and knows a crush when she sees one. The apparent violent dislike the wind witch and the daiyoukai have for each-other makes the temporally-displaced miko want to giggle with glee.

**Conflict**

Kagura is one of Naraku's detachments, meaning she is made of a part broken off his personality and soul. Despite her continued obedience the wind witch clearly chafes at being forced to obey the evil hanyou.

Kagome finds it ironic -and oddly poetic- that a being as bent on chaos and destruction as Naraku is should also be at war with itself.

**Compassion**

Kagome is always polite to Kagura. Manners cost nothing and the wind witch is practically a slave, her own heart held hostage to ensure her obedience. Kagura is generally polite back, although it doesn't stop her from trying -however reluctantly- to follow her orders.

* * *

><p>Kagura as seen by Kagome, because I've been neglecting the living in favour of the swords and ghosts.<p> 


	19. Competition

**Competition**

…

**Ayame**

It turns out Kouga is not only upsetting the Inutachi -and the two inu present in particular- with his persistent suit; the wolf has already agreed to marry another and seems to be ignoring her. The female ookami in question is most displeased with her betrothed's actions.

**Confrontation**

Kagome rather likes Ayame, who is much smarter than her would-be husband. The she-wolf is initially jealous of the miko, then notices the inu-youkai scent pervading her aura and pales. Unlike Kouga, she instantly recognises that the youki attached to the miko belongs to a daiyoukai rather than a hanyou as the wolf prince likely believes it to and instantly intervenes, berating her very dense betrothed for leading another girl on when he is already committed to _her_. Her recitation of the customs he is flaunting with his ignoble behaviour leaves Kouga first gaping then beating a hasty retreat.

Inuyasha laughs so hard that day they stop for the night a few hours early. Inutaisho is just very, very smug, snuggling up to her during dinner and playing with her hair until she finally falls asleep next to him.

**Misunderstanding**

Ayame believes the daiyoukai who has claimed Kagome to be the Lord of the Western Lands himself: Understandable, since Sesshoumaru is Inutaisho's eldest son and the only surviving pure-blood male of the House of the West. That the she-wolf is present when Sesshoumaru turns up for the miko's next training session only convinces her further.

Afterwards Ayame is unfailingly polite and reasonably friendly, but gets on much better with Sango than with Kagome herself. The miko suspects the other woman is intimidated by the idea of her being powerful enough to have gained the favour of the Killing Perfection despite her obvious humanity.

**Dissuasion**

Sadly, Kouga does not stop coming around every now and then to call Kagome 'his woman'. The temporally displaced miko however persistently and deliberately flat-foots him every single visit by asking after Ayame and calling the she-wolf his fiancée throughout the conversation.

Pointing out that the wolf has a prior commitment is somewhat successful in that Kouga is less touchy-feely now. Inutaisho is also slightly less physically possessive and a lot more disapproving, treating the wolf prince more like a stubborn puppy than a proper rival for Kagome's affections.

**Warning**

Back in her own era the only male interested in her is Hojo, but he is far too polite to maul her as Kouga does. Inutaisho is therefore content to loom behind her and frown blackly at the naïve human boy, one hand possessively wrapped around her shoulder.

In the feudal era on the other hand she has had a procession of would-be suitors, most of which just want a strong mother for their offspring and a domestic slave. Having the Dog General's youki twined through her aura has discouraged all but the most persistent of the youkai and her new clothing and bone bokken help warn off most of the human men. She now _looks_ like a miko and a trainee warrior rather than a weak lag-along.

* * *

><p>Ayame, because she deserves more screen-time.<p> 


	20. Revelations

**Revelations**

…

**Achievement**

Not long after the fiasco with the demons trying to create their very own shikon jewels to empower themselves with, Kagome is attempting to hold her own against Sesshoumaru in a spar when the daiyoukai abruptly lowers Tenseiga and steps out of range.

"Miko, you are now sufficiently competent to be trusted with a proper blade, so this Sesshoumaru will have one forged for your hand," the Lord of the West says in his habitual superior tones before turning on his heel and departing.

Kagome is left standing alone in the middle of the small clearing the Inutachi has stopped in, bloody and battered while her comrades stare at her in confusion.

**Acknowledgement **

Kagome escapes the queries of her human friends and Inuyasha's ire and retreats to a nearby hot spring. The hanyou is jealous of the attention his half-brother pays her and that the arrogant, human-hating Killing Perfection is giving _her_, a weak, mortal miko, another expensive gift. The clothing he thrust on her turned out to be youkai made, repelling both dirt and blood and so infused with youki that it heals itself after being damaged like Inuyasha's own fire rat robe.

It is a gift human kings would kill for and Sesshoumaru just pushed the clothing at her like it was not valuable at all. Like the hanyou, Kagome no longer needs to carry multiple changes of clothing around with her.

The miko collapses into the hot water, Inutaisho sitting on a nearby rock with his back to her. As she bathes and heals her wounds the ghostly inuyoukai patiently explains to her the importance of having a blade forged for you. The Dog General himself had had Tenseiga and Tessaiga forged for his future offspring long before either child was concieved, and had hoped to be able to hand them over in person to each son once they achieved a level of competence he was satisfied by.

Kagome suspects the only reason Sesshoumaru did not receive his blade earlier was that Inutaisho considered his son's his lack of empathy to be hindering his growth.

**Power**

The Dog General goes on to explain that he did not actually need to wield either blade in order to destroy or resurrect others and protect himself from harm: those powers come from within himself, or at least they did in life. True, he often used Tenseiga when bringing others back to life but that was because it was easier to use the blade when he was in a hurry. The fangs each hold a focused echo of his own power, nothing more or less. Tessaiga's ability to copy the attacks of others was also something Inutaisho had been capable of in life.

**Recognition**

It is only after Kagome has dried off, dressed and is returning to camp that she realises Sesshoumaru is commissioning a blade for her from Totosai, forged from one of his own fangs. The enormity of the gift staggers her, cutting her legs from under her and forcing Inutaisho to attempt to support her weight as well as his insubstantial form can manage.

Which is not very well at all.

They end up tangled around each-other among the roots of a tree, the miko blinking dazedly up at the leafy canopy as the Dog General leans over her with a hand planted on the ground either side of her shoulders, peering anxiously at her face. As Kagome gradually becomes aware of how close they are and how intensely she can sense him despite his lack of physical form she flushes darkly, unsure of how to respond. In response to her maidenly shyness Inutaisho smiles down at her, eyes dark and hungry, then lowers his face closer for a kiss.

**Intent**

By the time the time-travelling miko finally made it back to camp, dazed and rather red in the face, she had learned two very important facts that would shape the rest of her quest and indeed her entire life:

Firstly, that Inutaisho had no intention of letting the fact he was dead and had been for over two centuries get in the way of properly courting her.

Secondly, that Sesshoumaru had already noticed and accepted that Kagome would shortly be joining the House of the West proper, hence his stated intention of gifting her with a fang-forged blade.

Kagome is still too dazed by the fact that Sesshoumaru has _accepted_ that his _dead_ father intends for her to become his own _stepmother_ -_and Inuyasha's stepmother too_- that she fails to properly register that the almost-corporeal spirit who spends all his time dogging her every step has every intention of having his wicked way with her as soon as he is physical enough for it to be achieved.

An understandable oversight, but one she should not have made. Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are ridiculously persistent and stubborn as rocks; traits inherited from their father, who naturally has twice as much of both as they do.

* * *

><p>Because Sesshoumaru notices thing first and Inutaisho is a charming and irresistible force who knows how to approach women (he charmed Sesshoumaru's mother, who is as cold as he is). Continuity-wise, this happens somewhere around chapter 97. Soon I will have to introduce the band of seven, which will create chaos, confusion and spread insanity all over the carpet. Those stains are never coming out...<p>

EDIT 9th May: The site isn't letting me upload the next chapter. GAH! It'll be published as soon as I can get Document Upload to cooperate.


	21. Choice

**Choice**

…

**Decisions**

Not long after learning her ghostly shadow wanted to court her Kagome ended up trapped in a cave with Kikyou, a good distance away from the rest of the tachi. Kagome decided to put the time to good use by trying to work out how she really felt about Inutaisho.

**Past**

Tessaiga's relationship with her had been purely platonic, in a protective, possessive kind of way. As far as she was aware the fang had seen her as _his_ charge, _his_ miko and nothing more. Still, he had nonetheless refused to share her with any other male. Tessaiga had been 'safe', which was why she had let him touch her all the time: He wouldn't -Kagome suspected couldn't- take it any further.

**Present**

Inutaisho had seamlessly replaced Tessaiga, never once dropping the ball. The Dog General was on the other hand anything _but_ safe; he was a red-blooded daiyoukai male, albeit a dead one. However the temporally displaced miko had become so used to the casual touches, the hugs and having her hair played with that she had failed to notice that the person doing so was not the same as before, despite having the same 'feel', behavioural patterns and physical appearance. She hadn't considered how having the whole soul attending to her would be different to being watched over by a mere fragment.

Until now, that is, and Kagome suspected she was already too late.

Inutaisho had been a perfect gentleman and completely in control of himself until very recently -well, impeccably behaved by inu standards anyway- and the young miko was startled to realise she'd gotten very attached. She liked him, liked talking to him, liked listening to his well-explained lessons or just making conversation. Not to mention that he was gorgeous to look at and totally charming, very considerate of her likes and dislikes and respectful of her opinions and person.

Okay, so she was attracted to him. He was devastatingly hot and wreaked absolute havoc with her self control. Kagome simply could not reject him out of hand.

Another point in his favour was that he admitted freely to being very attracted to her but unlike Kouga did not simply declare her 'his woman'; Inutaisho told her he wanted to court her and prove the depth of his affections so she would know his intentions were both genuine and sincere.

Meaning the Dog General would do everything in his power to win her over and persuade her to accept his suit.

**Future**

A little later, after more musing and rambling, Kagome decided to go along with the courtship, if only to determine how she really felt about Inutaisho. Kikyou suggested at that point that they explore the cave for a way out, drawing Kagome out of her daydreaming. The living miko agreed and the two women set off, Kagome's ghostly stalker a few paces behind them. The Dog General's dislike for the undead miko was not as powerful as Tessaiga's had been for some reason; rather Inutaisho seemed disgusted that his younger son was attracted to a golem of clay and graveyard soil animated by a tortured soul torn from the afterlife.

If the whelp really loved her he'd free her. At least, that's what he told Kagome, who privately agreed with him.

* * *

><p>Some more Kagome. Yay, the system works again!<p> 


	22. Poison

**Poison**

…

**Plot**

Naraku has been disconcertingly absent for a long time, to the point that the entire Inutachi is getting twitchy and paranoid about his next evil scheme. Receiving news from Kouga's wolves that the greedy hanyou has resurrected the Shichinitai to sow chaos and destruction is almost a welcome relief.

**Peril**

Kagome's introduction to the band of seven is extremely stressful for both her and Inutaisho: She is drugged by Mukotsu the poison master, who promptly abducts her and tries to marry her. This assault on her person prompts the Dog General to completely lose his cool and shift into his true form. The immense white dog towers over the tiny hut she is being held in, head looming through the wall as he roars so furiously he creates an artificial wind which buffets the shack and makes the walls and roof creak ominously.

The amount of wild energy running through the youki in Kagome's aura gives Kagome the strength to fend off her assailant's advances, which enrages the disgusting little man beyond reason.

Fortunately Sesshoumaru chooses this moment to arrive and distract the poisoner.

**Rescue**

The daiyoukai dispatches Mukotsu with little ceremony and less effort, allowing Kagome to retrieve the jewel shard that anchored his soul within his resurrected corpse. Kagome then has the less-than-pleasant job of talking the irate Dog General down from his wild fury. She is only partially successful: Inutaisho does indeed return to his humanoid form, but then sheds his armour and wraps himself around her from behind, burying his face in her hair and crooning incoherently. Kagome suspects this is some kind of triggered flashback and doesn't fight when he moves from nuzzling her head to nibbling her ears and back again.

Even though it makes her shiver.

Kagome then thanks Sesshoumaru for his rescue and only then notices that she had not in fact, been seeing double when the daiyoukai entered the hut. There really _is_ a copy of him hovering aloofly next to Tenseiga.

**Gift**

Miko Kagome, this is Dokuseiga," Sesshoumaru says coolly, referring to her by name for the first time ever, "forged from one of this Sesshoumaru's fangs. Only a human female who does not blindly hate youkai can wield it and only one whose soul is touched by youki can unlock its power. Totosai wished this Sesshoumaru to assure you that holy powers can be channelled through Dokuseiga with no ill effects whatsoever."

Kagome bowed low, more grateful than she could properly express. "You honour me, Sesshoumaru-sama. I am unworthy of such a gift."

"Perhaps," the daiyoukai conceded blandly, holding out the sheathed blade in his only hand. Kagome looks over at the spirit of the fang, who inclines his head regally, and accepts the weapon.

**Pure**

There is a hiss like water on a hot pan and Dokuseiga is suddenly present at the edge of her mind, chill and haughty as its progenitor. She can only sense emotions from it, no words at all, but those emotions are so pure and alien it takes her breath away.

Kagome carefully draws the rather short katana from its sheath and stares at the incredibly sharp, bone-white blade. The hilt is wrapped in pink silk the same colour as her holy powers, the only concession to the fact it was forged for a woman's hand. She carefully runs her fingers along the slightly cool, perfectly smooth side of the fang, in awe of its beauty.

"Toxic Pure Fang," she murmurs. "Perfect and deadly."

"You are acceptable," Sesshoumaru says loftily. "This one will continue to train you but you must master the blade alone, miko."

"How, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome blurts out. "I mean, Tessaiga demands that the wielder protect humans and Tenseiga requires compassion-"

"Purity of intent," the daiyoukai interrupts smoothly. "In order to attack you must only wish harm on your enemies, nothing more or less; to kill you must desire them dead. Pure intentions to create pure results."

He departs her company abruptly, leaving behind a shell-shocked miko, a half-feral ghost and an aloofly watchful blade.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru returns and the Band of Seven start their rampage. Plus, Kagome now has a youkai blade of her very own!<p> 


	23. Dokuseiga

I've reclassified the story from humour/friendship to adventure/romance since the focus has shifted. Thanks for pointing that out, Trinity Fenton-Phantom; I'd forgotten.

**Dokuseiga**

…

**Appearance**

Dokuseiga looks quite different to Sesshoumaru. For one, he has both arms. For another he only had one blade secured in his obi. More confusingly, where Sesshoumaru has red on his kimono Dokuseiga has livid poison-green that almost glowed when he stood in the shadows.

**Bite**

The first thing Kagome learns about her new fang is that it is corrosively toxic. When Inuyasha sees it slung across her back he overreacts completely and tries to take it off her, but receives a deep, painful acid burn across his palm and fingers as soon as he touches the blade's hilt. The sword-spirit looks ever so slightly smug as the hanyou howls in agony and Kagome can feel its sense of vindication in her head as she bandages Inuysha's wound.

The Inutachi are careful to steer clear of Kagome's new weapon after that, wary of its bite.

**Attack**

Kagome learns Dokuseiga's first and most basic ability while using it to protect Shippo when Inuyasha is going head to head against Ginkotsu, who looks like the cyborgs in the anime her little brother Souta watches. A swing of the blade with intent to harm flings at her opponent six-petalled, shuriken-like youki flowers that glow poison green. On impact they slice into the target like Inuyasha's Blades of Blood and then fall apart like water, eating away at the wound from the inside and dissolving the victim's flesh. Or in Ginkotsu's case, his mechanical additions.

Dokuseiga watches the fight with detached approval, claws dripping green. Kagome realises that her Dokkatou -toxic flower throw- is a simpler and less potent version of Sesshoumaru's own Toxic Flower Claw. It makes her wonder if the fang will also poison those it cuts.

**Immunity**

When Miroku and Sango are poisoned as Ginkotsu escapes, Kagome catches on that Dokuseiga grants her resistance to toxins much as Tessaiga protects its wielder from physical damage and Tenseiga regenerates wounds.

Unfortunately for the miko this does not stop Renkotsu from hitting her over the head and stealing her shikon shards while she is unconscious.

* * *

><p>So, meet Dokuseiga. It enjoys dissolving things, poisoning people, killing in horribly painful ways and tormenting Inuyasha by its very presence. If Kagome is doubtful or conflicted while wielding it it won't do anything except act like a slightly sharp length of bone; She has to <em>mean<em> it.

I think Sesshoumaru is trying to corrupt her. I wonder why?


	24. Reincarnation

**Reincarnation**

…

**Suffering**

Inutaisho had decided that the band of seven -or is it five now, since two of them are dead?- really, really need to die. It was bad enough that the poisoner Mukotsu tried to marry _his_ Kagome, but Renkotsu setting fire to the temple when he was well aware that she was lying unconscious inside it was going too far. The Dog General is immensely grateful that his growing abilities enable him to move his precious little miko outside without too much difficulty.

Dokuseiga watches him, the expression blank to anyone who doesn't know Sesshoumaru: the spirit of the fang is worried for his wielder.

Inutaisho staves off his meltdown until Kagome stirs blearily from where he dragged her to, coughing in the smoke-filled air and blinking up at him in confusion. Then it all comes crashing down as he suddenly realises that he nearly lost her. His beautiful shikon miko is the best thing that has ever happened to him; his soul-mate reborn.

**Rejection**

To be perfectly, brutally honest, Izayoi had only ever been intended to be a distraction, a likely decoy to keep his Inu mate from noticing the woman he was really interested in. One she would actually have killed had she discovered the truth. Only when _that_ woman rejected him completely, telling him they would not and could not ever be together, did the Dog General turn to the gentle human princess for comfort. Izayoi helped him put his battered heart back together and later conceived his son, the half-blood Inuyasha.

It was that conception that led Izayoi to become truly precious to him since she would give birth to his pup, but she had been a dear friend before that and it was in her honour that he wielded Tessaiga, though he had had it forged with another woman in mind. Inutaisho cared deeply for Izayoi, but he was never in love with her.

Although she was most certainly in love with him.

**Loss**

Inutaisho had felt his soul-mate's death as he battled Ryuukotsusei and despaired utterly. Not seeing any reason to go on living now his other half was gone forever, snuffed out like a candle only a few years after he found her, the Dog General fought wildly and recklessly, incurring severe injuries. He died later that night, just after rescuing his newborn son and resurrecting Izayoi to look after him.

He died reluctantly in the end, sensing that somehow his beloved had not passed on into the afterlife and that death would only prolong their separation. That hesitation anchored him to his fangs and the world of the living, enabling him to distantly follow the lives of his kin and his blades.

**Return**

As soon as Tessaiga had first been touched by Kagome it had recognised her soul; that flicker of absolute elation then prompting the Dog General's slow, determined progress back through the veil and into the land of the living. Seeing her at last, her ridiculous outfit stained and torn, her soul brutally mutilated and yet still so young, so pure and so unabashedly loving had been like coming home. That she could see him only made it better.

Inutaisho had latched onto her at once, patching the damage to her soul with his own as only a true soul-mate could and salving the constant spiritual pain she was in. He had her now, she had accepted his presence completely and he was never going to let her go, no matter how much effort it took to bring her around to his way of thinking.

Higurashi Kagome, the time-travelling Shikon miko is Midoriko reborn, and Inutaisho is not about to let his difficult, stubborn, powerful and beautiful beloved get away from him again.

* * *

><p>Inutaisho is far more posessive than his sons. He just hides it better and has more practice at being patient. He's also nicer about it, thereby getting away with more.<p> 


	25. Kikyou

**Kikyou**

…

**Lies**

Kikyou knows perfectly well that clumsy Kagome is _not_ her reincarnation; that people think the silly child is her reborn is a result of physical resemblance and wishful thinking on Kaede and Inuyasha's part.

She only calls Kagome 'my reincarnation' to irritate the girl and prompt Inuyasha to be more attentive to her rather than run after the scandalously dressed interloper.

At least she dresses modestly now and knows which way up to hold a bow.

**Hatred**

Kikyou hates Kagome because it is a shard of the untrained miko's soul that binds her to her clay body, forcing her to devour the souls of other maidens or fade away to nothing in her pottery shell.

Kagome's soul fragment is like a rope wrapped tightly around her body and limbs, strangling Kikyou's abused soul as it binds it in place.

**Agony**

Kikyou can sense the shikon shards because the chunk of Kagome keeping her from her rest resonates with both the jewel and the air-headed would-be miko herself. Which hurts terribly whenever she approaches either a shard or Kagome herself, although the latter effect has been significantly dampened of late.

Nonetheless, this means that Kikyou is reminded of her tormentor wherever she goes, as the shards are scattered far and wide. She only helps the Inutachi find them so that Kagome can repair the jewel and _go away_.

Oh, and for Inuyasha's sake.

**Deduction**

Kikyou is nobody's fool; the constant pain dulls her mind but she is accustomed to it now and it only slows her down a little. Kagome's unnatural affinity for the Shikon gives the undead miko an unpleasant inkling of whose reincarnation the childish interloper _really_ is.

That the foolish, naïve, weak girl may actually be _Midoriko_ reborn makes her detest the silly, hapless child even more.

* * *

><p>Kikyou is obsevant, too. She also doesn't like Kagome very much, but she's the passive-agressive type except when the enemy is a demon. Then she gets to kill it.<p> 


	26. Reversal

**Reversal**

…

**Anomaly**

Kagome immediately picks up that something is off with Suikotsu, the fourth member of the band of seven -or was it five now?- that the Inutachi come across. First there is Kikyou's fascination with her fellow walking corpse. Second there is the pristine purity of the shikon shard embedded in him.

Third is the metal-clawed, messy-haired doppelgänger with green stripes on its face, leaning against Suikotsu's shoulder and dozing quietly, gently oozing malice.

**Slumber**

The mild-mannered doctor does not have any kind of weapon on him to explain the snoozing spirit, or anything else that feels like it could be used as a soul container. Kagome is steeling herself to ask about the odd being despite there being children present when Renkotsu and Ginkotsu arrive, the latter heavily rebuilt. With them is an effeminate man in a kimono who instantly starts flirting outrageously with Inuyasha, much to the hanyou's dismay.

**Awakening**

The flirt introduces himself as Jankotsu and is apparently nominally in charge in the absence of the real leader of the Shichinintai. He tells Suikotsu to 'snap out of it' and, when the doctor just blinks in confusion, wounds him with his extending sword. The bleeding wound appears to waken the slumbering spirit, who jerks into life and slams into Suikotsu's body, morphing it into a likeness of its own twisted features. The doctor's gentle spirit is forcibly evicted and keels over unconscious as the jewel fragment embedded in the possessed corpse darkens with corruption.

**Madness**

The awakened monster immediately attacks the children the doctor was tending to, wreaking havoc as panic and pandemonium ensues, the fleeing innocents preventing Inuyasha from unleashing his more powerful attacks. Kagome fiercely stands guard over those who decide to hide behind her until the four resurrected warriors leave, apparently in search of their leader.

Kagome wishes very much that Inuyasha had been able to get her shikon shards back off Renkotsu. That particular member of the Shichinintai she does not like at all.

* * *

><p>Meet Suikotsu and more plot. I love reading your reviews, by the way; they kick me into writing even more. My muse is gleefully shoving more story into my brain and cackling madly as I try to keep up.<p> 


	27. Progress

More than 100 reviews! Wahoo!

**Progress**

…

**Unnatural**

Kagome decides very quickly that, while Bankotsu reminds her of a painfully nihilistic Inuyasha, she really does not like Banryu at all. The blade's spirit is all over the place, looking like a once-proud mortal warrior whose body is riddled with youki and gradually being devoured by a mass of demonic fury that can't seem to decide what species it is.

The combination looks disturbingly similar to how Naraku's transition into becoming a hanyou was described as being, making her stomach flip-flop queasily.

**Impression**

Bankotsu and Inuyasha clash spectacularly, fighting all-out against one another. Behind Kagome Inutaisho hovers so close she can feel the spikes on his breastplate brushing the sides of her head. Dokuseiga stands off to her right, looking generally unimpressed.

Kagome is not unimpressed: she's amazed Bankotsu can even lift his massive blade, considering he's only human himself and Banryu is taller than he is!

**Retreat**

Inuyasha is just starting to gain the upper hand when Naraku summons the five members of the Shichinintai back to his hidden hideout. The motley gang of resurrected bandits depart in a hurry, leaving Miroku to ponder loudly where they might be going. After all, Naraku has so many jewel shards by now Kagome and Kikyou should be able to sense them. Unless they're behind a barrier of course.

…

Kagome is not the only one left feeling stupid.

**Goal**

A little bit of brainstorming later the Inutachi determines that Naraku and his band of seven -or five- are either hiding on Hijiri Island or on Mount Hakurei. Since the former is both closer and has a less powerful barrier, Inuyasha decides to go there first.

* * *

><p>A touch more plot and a dash of comedy. Dealing with the Shichinintai will probably take a while, so get used to them.<p> 


	28. Cheated

I'm putting up an extra chapter today just for the hell of it. I've got enough backlog so why not? Plus, all those lovely reviews deserve a reward, so an extra chapter it is.

**Cheated**

…

**Fight**

Inuyasha's next fight against Bankotsu is on Hijiri island, and starts out with him at a serious disadvantage. The holy barrier around the island prevents him from using any of Tessaiga's youki attacks.

Bankotsu is not at all reluctant to press his distinctly unfair advantage, but Inuyasha has stopped caring about unfair a long time ago. Life is not fair and it never will be. He himself is also weakened by the barrier, but that does not mean he is just going to roll over and die.

**Handicap**

Inuyasha is losing by inches when Sango joins in, blocking Bankotsu's attack with her Hiraikotsu. The hanyou siezes the advantage offered and attacks again, secretly grateful for all those sword lessons his asshole of a half-brother has been giving Kagome. Inuyasha is now much better at actual sword fighting than he used to be.

**Snatched**

When the barrier finally gave way and Tessaiga recovered Inuyasha managed to damage Banryu using Wind Scar. Thinking victory was secure the Hanyou pressed in, but then a dokko come flying out of nowhere and teleported Bankotsu away to kami-knows-where.

The loss of his unbeaten opponent made Inuyasha very grumpy, especially since this was the second time the resurrected bandit had got away from him.

**Reasoning**

Miroku told Inuyasha that the dokku had been the focus of the holy barrier, which he and some local kid had broken between them. The monk also pointed out that since the dokku was part of the regalia -property, Kagome later explained it as- of the hakushin of Mt. Hakurei, Bankotsu had probably gone there.

Inuyasha instantly decided they would leave right now, chivvying his little pack onwards.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha's point of view again. He's a simple guy, so not much thought going on.<p> 


	29. Chase

**Chase**

…

**Misplaced**

Sesshoumaru is most displeased when the walking corpse in the pink kimono identifies him as 'Inuyasha's brother' and sets about proving that he and the half-blood have nothing in common. Tokijin is as eager to smite this effeminate idiot as he is.

The daiyoukai does take the time to order Jakken to take Rin away from the fight so she will not be injured.

However after winning the bout and humiliating his opponent he finds the bridge his ward and retainer were supposed to be crossing has fallen into the gorge with them on it. Determined to retrieve Rin, Sesshoumaru leaps off the cliffs after her.

**Trace**

Down by the river Sesshoumaru finds Jakken with ease, but discovers that another of the seven animated corpses has carried Rin off. Deciding that this situation must be rectified in short order the daiyoukai follows the scent of graveyard earth, his irritating but faithful retainer babbling at his heels.

The trail leads towards a small village at the foot of Mount Hakurei.

**Ambush**

A few minutes' quiet introspection leads the Lord of the West to conclude that the two members of the Shichinintai he is following mean to lure him within the purifying barrier around Mt. Hakurei, believing he will be sufficiently weakened for them to kill. Scoffing at such pathetic naiveté, Sesshoumaru circles around ahead of their projected destination, entering the barrier at an angle so he can intercept them from behind.

The barrier may be strong but he is the Killing Perfection, a pure-blood daiyoukai more powerful than any petty human saint, and he will never fall to human hands.

**Combat**

Irritatingly Sesshoumaru is sufficiently affected by the holy barrier that the idiot in pink is able to injure him before he adjusts to the reduction in power levels. The daiyoukai is more careful after that and the fight is going fairly well when the one he is fighting -apparently named Jakotsu- threatens to have Rin killed: His ward is being held off to one side by the one called Suikotsu.

Angered by the dishonourable and cowardly tactic, Sesshoumaru throws Tokijin to impale Suikotsu and charges Jakotsu headlong, claws out and dripping still-deadly poison.

Unfortunately Suikotsu in not sufficiently incapacitated to prevent him from trying to kill Rin. The clawed man is about to strike her when he is hit by a holy arrow.

**Outcome**

Rin's rescuer is Inuyasha's undead miko, whose intervention awakens her fellow corpse from his psychotic state. Suikotsu begs the clay miko for death, wanting his suffering to end. His request is granted by his former comrade in pink, who flees with the shikon shard that was preventing Suikotsu's soul from departing to the afterlife.

Satisfied that the threat to Rin is no more, Sesshoumaru leaves the mountain with his ward in tow. Once she is hidden somewhere safe with Jakken and Ah-Un to watch over her he will return to Mt. Hakurei and deal with Naraku.

* * *

><p>More Sesshoumaru and the death of Suikotsu. Sesshou is so fun to write with his insufferably superior attitude...<p> 


	30. Distress

Hello to all my readers! I've decided to end this fic after Kagome wishes the jewel away. However, my muse is already plotting a sequel that involves the YuYu Hashuko crew. What do people think? It'd be set about five years after the end of the YuYu series, so properly AU. I have to fill the three years until she can get back through the well _somehow_...

**Distress**

…

**Flight**

Kagome is not having a good day. True, Sango and Miroku have infiltrated Mt. Hakurei and Kouga has succeeded in killing Ginkotsu, cutting the band of seven down to four. The wolf prince is however severely injured so she, Inuyasha, Kirara, Shippo and Kouga's packmates Hakkaku and Ginta are looking for somewhere -anywhere- they can hide while he recovers.

Not wanting to set off Inutaisho over nothing, Kagome rides on Kirara with Shippo while the two less powerful wolves run alongside. Inuyasha dashes on ahead, Kouga slung over his shoulder, scouring the hillside for a hiding place.

**Shelter**

The little group finds a cave in the hillside and Inuyasha immediately dumps Kouga on the floor and leaves him there, walking back out to 'keep watch'. Or, more likely to Kagome's mind, lounge about.

Keeping an eye on Inutaisho, the miko approaches the wounded wolf and sets about cleaning and closing his many wounds while giving instructions to Ginta and Hakkaku, who want to help. The fang strapped to her back changes the way they address her for good: She is always 'Kagome-san' to them now, never 'sister'. She chats with them about inconsequential things and asks after Ayame, wishing all the while that Kouga would take a hint as well.

**Ingratitude**

Kouga is not at all gracious on awakening, berating his pack-mates for not carrying him to safety themselves and whingeing that he stinks of dog.

Inuyasha is equally irritated by the wolf's sheer ingratitude and shakes off the water from his swim in the stream all over the complaining Kouga. This naturally triggers yet another argument.

Kagome retreats out of range and gets on with repacking her medicines away and checking her weapons while Inutaisho watches the childish sniping with an amused but vaguely incredulous expression. Tessaiga is ignoring the fight completely, proof that the confrontation isn't serious, while Dokuseiga appears to be pondering which of the bickering duo is the biggest waste of space.

* * *

><p>Well the band of seven is now the 'three man army' thanks to Kouga and Sesshoumaru's efforts, but as the two parties are yet to meet each thinks the Shichinintai is only down to four. As for Dokuseiga... well he's prejudiced against Inuyasha, but Kouga <em>is<em> being fairly moronic here...


	31. Battle

**Battle**

…

**Warning**

Dokuseiga is wary when Inuyasha charges out of the cave to chase down one of Naraku's Saimyousho that he catches spying on them. Sensing that something is amiss, the miko arms herself.

Not a moment too soon, either: with an explosion, a rockfall and a wave of burning oil Renkotsu launches a merciless assault on the depleted group with a new and deadly collection of weapons.

**Inferno**

Inuyasha returns returns in time to deflect a fiery projectile away from the group, putting his fire rat kimono around Kagome's shoulders before moving to attack Renkotsu directly. The miko accepts the loan and continues to bat away attacks with Dokuseiga, wielding it more like a baseball bat than a sword. She is inordinately grateful for Sesshoumsru's lessons: she is much better at dodging now.

Though she wishes Inuyasha had kept the fire-proof kimono for himself, as he clearly needs it on Renkotsu's burning raft.

There is one more immense explosion abd Kagome is thrown back into the cave as Inuyasha falls out of sight.

**Driven**

Renkotsu is utterly focused on taking Kouga's shikon shards, to the point of threatening to blow them all sky-high if he doesn't get them. Dynamite may not have -supposedly- been invented yet, but that is what the sticks he is waving around look like to Kagome.

Once again, Inuyasha's timely intervention saves the group as the hanyou tackles Renkotsu, sending them both tumbling into the raging fire below the cave mouth.

For a brief instant Kagome is terrified Inuyasha is dead, but Inutaisho assures her that his hanyou son is still among the living.

No matter _what_ Kouga thinks.

**Childish**

On his return Inuyasha immediately goes back to what he was doing before Renkotsu ambushed them: bickering with Kouga. As she sets about finding and repacking what remains of their scattered belongings, Kagome silently wishes the dog-eared knuckle-head would grow up a little.

* * *

><p>I think, therefore I update. A short action-packed chapter, to be followed by some character development.<p> 


	32. Sango

**Sango**

…

**Last**

The tajina is the sole survivor of her village, wandering more or less aimlessly with her firecat companion when she encounters the odd little band she later joins. They mean to defeat Naraku, so she will go with them and have revenge for the deaths of her family and comrades.

**Company**

Her new comrades are all a bit askew from what they appear to be: the monk is a pervert, the kitsune a baby and devoted to his surrogate mother, who is in turn both a miko and a total innocent. The hanyou in charge of the group reminds her of her late boy cousins, gruff and awkward and terrified of failing.

They are a dysfunctional little family, but Sango herself is no less broken.

**Despair**

Discovering what has been done to Kohaku, her beloved baby brother, almost kills Sango. Kagome's support and the demon slayer's own thirst for vengeance are all that get her through the pain.

**Assumptions**

Sango notices the gradual changes in Kagome but doesn't mention them; she respects her heart-sister's privacy. She does wonder who is teaching the clumsy miko to fight though: Inuyasha runs on instinct and street brawlers' tricks and Miroku is in the dark as she is.

Only a samurai would bother to train Kagome in the standard sword stances and forms and the temporally displaced miko has never met one.

Well, a samurai or a courtly daiyoukai, but Sango doubts Kagome is getting lessons from human-hating _Sesshoumaru_.

**Proof**

After the mess with Sou'unga the Lord of the West proves her assumptions wrong: he _is_ teaching her heart-sister to fight. He is also giving her demon-made clothing and letting her care for his ward. Sango racks her brain to recall her early lessons on inu in general and daiyoukai in particular, but what she can dredge up only worries her more.

Sesshoumaru's behaviour indicates that he considers Kagome the alpha of the Inutachi, a valid if unusual point of view considering Inuyasha is the one who decides what they do and where they go. Unless Kagome starts using the subjugation necklace, of course.

Actually, maybe Kagome is alpha after all.

The daiyoukai's change in attitude also indicates that he has accepted the gentle miko as a member of his pack., and that last one bothers Sango no end.

**Position**

The demon slayer knows Sesshoumaru is not as adverse to humanity as he initially seemed; that he lets Rin follow him around is proof enough. Sango cannot however determine what Kagome is to the daiyoukai.

Pack, yes: he has given her clothing, is teaching her to defend herself and expects her to both teach and care for his ward. But does Sesshoumaru see Kagome as a daughter, a sister or a potential future mate?

The lack of information is making her twitchy and the monk's constant groping does not help her mood.

* * *

><p>I finally get to introduce Sango, who is both obsevant and very patient. Well, except with perverts.<p> 


	33. Miroku

**Miroku**

…

**Pervert**

Miroku can't see what's wrong with asking every pretty girl he meets if she will bare his child. It breaks the ice nicely and the worst that can happen is being told 'no'. Likewise with the groping; a slap isn't all that bad a worst-case scenario and he avoids married women on principle so he has never been chased out of town my jealous husbands.

After meeting Sango his worst-case scenario is upgraded to 'get bashed over the head by a demon-bone boomerang' but even that doesn't stop him for long.

**Dilemma.**

Miroku may be a pervert but he is still a capable monk: he noticed from the very beginning that Kagome had made a deal of some kind with a powerful youkai, but as her holy powers are unaffected by it he does not comment. Since she comes from the future the monk it is likely some demonic power was involved in bringing her here.

He is a little worried, mainly because the only daiyoukai who actually comes into contact with the Inutachi is Sesshoumaru and he doesn't seem the type. So Miroku keeps a weather eye on the youki threaded through Kagome's aura and wonders if he should mention it to Kaede or just confront the younger miko directly.

**Mystery**

Sesshoumaru sudden interest in Kagome after the Sou'unga incident is not as abrupt as it appears: the Killing Perfection had been watching her for weeks before that débâcle. That he is now training her and has given her a sword made from one of his own fangs suggests the youki in her aura comes from someone the daiyoukai considers a close ally or maybe even family.

But the dog General is long dead and Miroku has never even heard a passing mention of Sesshoumaru's mother. So what is going on?

**Secrets**

When the Inutachi discover Naraku is hiding on Mt. Hakurei, Miroku suggests the human members of the party infiltrate the barrier and try to take it down so the others can join them in the search for the vile hanyou.

In the end it is just Miroku and Sango who go as Inuyasha does not want Kagome to leave his sight. The hanyou claims she'll just get killed without him there to bail her out, which gets him 'sat'. It is also a blatant lie: Kagome is getting very good with her youkai blade. The real reason Miroku agrees to leave the miko behind is that he isn't sure what would happen to her if the youki that has been an integral part of her aura for the past half year was purified, or how well she would perform in battle without her blade's youki attacks.

**Trials**

The ascent of the mountain is long and perilous and they are almost lost in a cave system before someone -Sango insists it is Kohaku- leads them to safety. As they approach the summit they find a cave from which Miroku can sense an evil presence emanating.

On entering, monk and demon slayer are ambushed by Kagura leading a horde of lesser youkai. The fight is long and arduous and Miroku eventually has to use his wind tunnel to protect Sango despite the swarm of poisonous Saimyousho present. He passes out eventually in a tunnel on the other side of the cavern, weakened but happy to have protected the woman he secretly has deeper feelings for.

* * *

><p>As there has been a little confusion on how the crossoversequel with YuYu would work, I will clarify: Kagome's _present_ (1998ish) would be about 4-5 years _after_ the end of the YuYu series (1994ish) so when she is stuck in the present after the shikon's distruction she stumbles across whatever the former spirit detectives are doing with their lives. My idea for the barrier dividing the realms is that Enma instated it about fifty years after the Shikon incidint in the feudal era, citing Naraku as an example of why Youkai and ningen should live apart. Kagome would spend her three years' 'exile' from the feudal era around them, keeping herself busy and her abilities sharp.

Thoughts?


	34. Loitering

**Loitering**

…

**Left**

Kagome is just as worried about Sango and Miroku as Inuyasha is, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to dash off through the barier without thinking things through. The hanyou completely ignores her concerns, but _does_ say he's glad she can take care of herself now so he doesn't have to rely on the 'wimpy wolf' to protect her in his stead.

Then he runs off, leaving her to ride herd on Shippo and the wolves while an offended Kouga wants to know what Inuyasha meant when he said Kagome 'can take care of herself'.

**Distraction**

Evening slides into night and Inuyasha still isn't back. Ginta, Hakkaku and Shippo are all fast asleep and Kouga is nominally on watch but really off sulking away from the fire because Kagome beat him in a spar, never mind that the wolf prince is still recovering from his injuries. Dokuseiga is also standing watch, golden eyes fixed on Mt. Hakurei.

Inutaisho is sat next to her by the fire, stroking her hair and telling her a story of a much, much younger Sesshoumaru who actually did normal childish things from time to time. Kagome is grateful for the distraction but no less worried for her friends.

**Procrastination**

The next morning at dawn the group moves closer to the barrier. Shippo even tries to get through it, but he fails completely and passes out, so the wolves all stay well back. Kagome secretly hopes Inuyasha didn't really go in and is still circling around the mountain looking for an entry point, but recognises that it is in vain. The hanyou is as stubborn as a rock, so he is probably inside.

Kagome does consider trying for herself, but her feat of what that would do to Inutaisho holds her back.

**Change**

After about an hour of agonising waiting around the barrier seems to wobble, odd flashes running through it as the wind begins to howl. As Shippo wakes up Kagome believes _someone_ has managed to lower the barrier and runs off towards it again, Kouga chasing after her.

* * *

><p>A brief interlude. Kouga discovers Kagome is not as vulnerable as she appears to be.<p> 


	35. Haste

**Haste**

…

**Prejudice**

Inuyasha has decided that he hates the Shichinintai, the thrice-damned 'seven man army', even though there are only four of them left at most now. Of course, he may be prejudiced since Rankotsu just blasted him through the stupid holy barrier and stuck him in his human form despite it not being the full moon, but he doesn't think that's the whole of his problem.

Having to run away from a bloody walking _corpse_ he beat in a fight yesterday does rather take the cake, though.

**Cover**

Hiding in the narrow crevice is a stroke of genius as it means Renkotsu can't throw bombs at him any more, a relief; he was starting to feel like a character in one of Souta's video games. Plus, the man's too big to follow him inside.

Then he hears the bloody cross-dresser's voice and swiftly retreats further into the mountain. Jakotsu is the real reason he can't stand these guys: there's something really creepy about a guy in girl's clothing who alternates flirting with you and describing in great detail how much he wants to hurt you.

**Cornered**

The crack he's travelling down widens into a cavern and Inuyasha is wondering if it goes all the way to the mountain's heart when he senses an attack from behind.

Of course, it would be Jakotsu. The kami hate him, don't they? He's at less than half strength and has to fight a lunatic with an extending sword in an enclosed space when his own sword isn't working properly.

**Opportunity**

The purified hanyou loses. Badly. He's just telling the cross-dresser to kill him and be done with it when their fight is interrupted by a bunch of lesser demons, which distracts Jakotsu and causes him to run off.

Then Inuyasha feels the holy barrier fall and his demonic traits return. His wound healed and Tessaiga fully recovered, Inuyasha prepares for a rematch as Jakotsu comes back looking for him.

**Hurry**

This time around the hanyou wins, but Inuyasha honestly can't be bothered to kill his helpless opponent. Tracking down and defeating Naraku is what matters now. So he follows the tunnel deeper into the mountain, chasing after the scent of miasma and evil.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha: impatient, rude and impulsive. I'm not writing a chapter for the fight with Bankotsu as it isn't relevent to my plot, which is Kagome-centric. Lets just say he wins, okay?<p> 


	36. Achievement

**Achievement**

…

**Fortunate**

Miroku has had an interesting day, for all the many near-death experiences. The best bit was actually waking up again despite having sucked all those Saimyousho into his wind tunnel. Sango begging to stay by his side even to the death was very nice too, though.

His survival led him to deduce they were on ground so holy the insects' poison in his body was being purified, which was the kind of stupidly good luck Kagome usually got. Wandering around with her for so long had clearly caused some of the luck to rub off, which was the strangest advantage he'd ever thought of getting from her company.

**Saint**

After realising they weren't going to die just yet monk and demon slayer followed the tunnel to a temple in the heart of the mountain, where Miroku recognises the mummified -yet still living- body of Hakushin. Miroku, disgruntled that a saint is is offering assistance to a being as blatently evil as Naraku, demands that the holy man explain himself.

**Sinner**

The saint explains that he resented those who expected him to die willingly to save their lives. Miroku doesn't bother to argue the point -Hakushin's objection is reasonable- but tries nonetheless to break down the barrier around the mountain. Hitting it with his staff doesn't work and neither does Sango's Hiraikotsu. In the end the monk decides he can't afford to play around any longer when the world and his friends are at stake and uncovers his wind tunnel, sucking the barrier into the void.

Then both monk and demon slayer hear the howling of many, many youkai that are no longer being kept away from them.

* * *

><p>Miroku and Sango break the barrier. Oops.<p> 


	37. Downfall

**Downfall**

…

**Horde**

What with being overrun by lesser demons, Kagome barely noticed the barrier coming down; she was too busy chopping up anything that came within the reach of her blade. One wound was generally enough for these lesser youkai as Dokuseiga's poison dissolved their bodies away with astonishing speed.

Kagome had also recently worked out how to channel her holy powers through the fang, so after a while her opponents simply turned to ash. The Sesshoumaru-like sword-spirit stood proudly at her shoulder, eyes gleaming with the thrill of battle.

Kouga fought alongside her, his irrepressible good humour restored despite the increasingly large waves of demons attacking them.

**Search**

Not long after the barrier vanished the wolf prince decided that now was a good time to find Naraku. Kagome did not precisely agree, but she did want to find Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha. So the sword-wielding miko begged a lift off Kirara and chased after Kouga with Shippo, leaving poor Ginta and Hakkaku in the dust.

After a while Kouga lets Kagome lead, since she can sense Naraku's shikon shards and he can't.

**Devoured**

As they enter the mountain Kagome notices that the ground under their feet is pulsing green, making Inutaisho uneasy. Worried about what is going on, she urges Kirara to run faster.

Then the floor eats Kouga.

Kagome is horrified, but presses on regardless. Shippo is as nervous as the Dog General, but sits tight on Kirara's back as Kagome gets off and runs onwards, the firecat at her heels, following the feel of the shikon shards embedded in Kouga's legs.

**Ominous**

In the big room full of weird white globs Kagome, Shippo and Kirara find Sango and Miroku. Neither nonk nor demon slayer seem particularly worse for wear, but they haven't seen Inuyasha either.

The temporally displaced miko knows that everything is due to go wrong about now: Inutaisho is tense and twitching and Dokuseiga has that look Sesshoumaru gets when someone is trying and failing to catch him unawares.

The earthquake arrives right on time, as do the tentacles, so Kagome doesn't panic until she sees Inuyasha down there, wrapped up and unconcious.

**Aid**

On hearing Kagome's voice shout his name the hanyou wakes up and promptly tells the miko off for coming after him. Since this is Inuyasha-speak for 'I don't want you getting hurt' Kagome lets him rant, instead trying to free him from the tentacles holding him in place.

Then she hears Naraku's laughter.

**Villain**

Naraku arrives on the scene and promptly gloats, going into an arrogant and self-glorifying monologue and pinning Kagome and Shippo in place with yet more tentacles.

Then he 'eats' what remains of Bankotsu's body and the shikon shards that were animating the Shichinintai, which pisses off Inuyasha. The hanyou growls that the leader of the band of seven was a worthy and honourable opponent -despite being a mercenary corpse- and deserved better.

Naraku ignores him, his attention on the jewel shards, then the evil hanyou's body reforms.

* * *

><p>Argh, cliffhanger! Everything is coming to a head now the 'seven man army' is dust once more.<p>

EDIT: In light of people being unable to access this chapter, I'm reposting it.


	38. Loss

**Loss**

…

**Retreat**

The Inutachi utterly fail to defeat Naraku: he departs unhindered of his own accord, leaving them to recover Kouga as the vile hanyou goes hunting. Inuyasha rescues the wolf prince while Shippo transforms into a pink balloon to float Kagome to safety and Sango and Miroku ride out on Kirara.

Miroku uses his wind tunnel to make a hole in the cave wall, allowing Kirara and Shippo to fly out of the mountain and away from the rampaging demons still roaming the area.

**Destruction**

The mountain is falling apart when Kagome finally spots the two missing males. They are both mostly unharmed in spite of everything; Kouga even still has his shikon shards. The two are arguing -as usual- when Inuyasha tenses suddenly and runs off.

Kagome calls after him, then senses something strange herself. Even Inutaisho looks puzzled, so she follows after her hanyou friend.

Dokuseiga just looks bored, so Kagome guesses she isn't running towards a fight.

**Grief**

Kagome catches up in time to see Inuyasha just standing there looking lost, Tessaiga in one hand and a broken bow in the other, as Sesshoumaru walks away from him. The daiyoukai pauses as he notices Kagome through the smoke and lets her approach him.

"Naraku claimed to have slain the undead miko," he says coolly. "Is your soul restored?"

Kagome glances sideways at Inutaisho, who shakes his head sadly.

"Iie, Sesshoumaru-sama," the miko ventures softly, mindful of Inuyasha's grief.

"Then she lingers in this world still," Sesshoumaru states, turning and vanishing into the gloom, Jakken at his heels.

**Unsaid**

As Inuyasha is clearly in shock, Kagome does not mention that Sessoumaru is convinced of Kikyou's continued existence. She personally feels that Inuyasha needs to get over the undead miko, as Kikyou only binds him to his past mistakes and to death.

Kagome truly believes her hanyou friend deserves better than that.

And besides, if she isn't dead, where is she?

* * *

><p>And that's that. Next up is more character development and -eventually- the Inutachi's discovery of Kagome's ghostly stalker. But that's a good few chapters away yet. Kagome has to go home before that, among other things...<p> 


	39. Heart

**Heart**

…

**Apart **

Kagome is upset but not particularly surprised when, on hearing a rumour of an injured priestess, Inuyasha drops everything and goes to find her. The hanyou is still obsessed with Kikyou and utterly refuses to believe she could be dead. As Kagome herself also believes the undead miko has not yet passed into the afterlife she can hardly object to his obsession, but she really wishes Inuyasha would choose to dwell in the present rather than the past. Some thing just are, and must be accepted so a person can go on with living.

Of course, when the soldiers attack Kagome realises it is just yet another trap. Being reluctant to kill humans makes her sword all but useless as she can barely wound her attackers. While Miroku and Sango are busy defending themselves and Shippo Kagome is overpowered and carried off.

**Reluctance**

After the fiasco with the soldiers Dokuseiga refuses to even look at her, which makes the miko more miserable as she sits in her cell, waiting for her captors to decide what they want her for. Yes, she understands that humans can be just as evil as youkai when they want to be, but they are her own kind and she's never killed one before. In fact, she's never killed anyone who wasn't either after her jewel shards or driven mad from having a shikon fragment embedded in them.

Inutaisho is a little more sympathetic, but he too points out that humans could kill her just as easily as youkai. More easily, in fact, as her holy powers only work against demons. Humans may yet attack her for being allied with demons, or try to kill Shippo for the crime of being born youkai.

Kagome has no answer she can give the Dog General; she knows he's right, but it is still hard.

**Alike**

Her captor is Akago, Naraku's newest incarnation, working with Kagura. He looks like a baby but is anything but innocent, attempting to play on her fears and misery to darken her soul so he can control her. He tells her Inuyasha had abandoned her, that he will never see her as anything but a Kikyou substitute.

The false child succeeds in touching a nerve entirely by accident when he tells her that Inuyasha is doomed, since he has chosen a dead woman over a living one: his future contains only death.

Kagome instantly draws a parallel between Inuyasha and herself, as both are in love -she admits only within her own heart- with dead people. Worse, Inutaisho isn't even properly solid; he's a ghost only she can see. Doesn't that mean that she, too, is doomed to die? To never truly know happiness in this life?

Unaware of the Dog General's increasingly frantic pleas Kagome sinks further into despair, a sullen feeling of resentment for Inuyasha blooming in her heart. At least the hanyou got a little time together with Kikyou back when she was alive; Kagome will never have that with Inutaisho.

**Recovery**

After a seemingly endless bout of feeling sorry for herself Kagome abruptly pulls herself together and shoves her bitterness aside. Yes, Inuyasha did get some time with Kikyou, but that was in the past and the couple's desperate clinging to what is long gone has tainted their relationship. Inutaisho may be mostly insubstantial but there is always hope. Besides, he shows her far more care and affection that Kikyou does Inuyasha and stays with her all the time, getting to know her and doing things with her.

The undead miko didn't ever accept Inuyasha for who he was even when she was alive, wanting to use the shikon to wish him into being human. That was not proper, genuine love. What Kagome had with Inutaisho might never come to much, but at least they accepted each-other for who they were, as they were!

With that, Kagome threw off Akago's influence just as Inuyasha burst into the room.

**Love**

Later, after they have escaped, Inuyasha apologises and tries to promise he'll never leave her again, but the miko calls him a liar. He always leaves; that's part of who he is. She isn't the one his heart belongs to and she knows she never will be.

Never wants to be either, but Kagome doesn't say that. She never even hints that her heart belongs to another stubborn inu who is even then cuddled up against her other side, nuzzling her ear. Never gives away that it is the hanyou's father who has snared her with his caring nature and charming smile.

She does tell Inuyasha that she still loves him dearly and always will. He's like a brother to her; no-one but a brother could rile her up like he does.

* * *

><p>Quite a few people have shown an interest in how episodes 125126 would go, so here it is. This is for everyone who was inconvenienced yesterday due to the lack of chapter 37, which should be fixed now.


	40. Preparation

**Preparation**

…

**Home**

After the stress of defeating the Shichinintai, Naraku getting a new body and fighting off Akago, Kagome was glad for the opportunity to go back to her own era for a bit. That she had to attend school and take tests wasn't wonderful, but thanks to Inutaisho's help she was much better at remembering what she'd studied than she used to be.

Plus, it's kind of fun showing Inutaisho around her world. The Dog General's curiosity is insatiable and the prospect of a whole new world to explore brings a gleam to his eyes that Kagome finds devastatingly attractive.

**Guileless**

As a gift for her family the miko finds some himono: dried fish. It has a faint youki signature, but since it's dead that doesn't bother Kagome much. Being exhausted from her recent adventures, after a lavish family meal and a bath -during which Inutaisho sits outside the bathroom door asking questions about plumbing- Kagome keels over into bed and falls asleep almost at once. Dokuseiga tucked under her pillow and the Dog General's youki threaded through her own, the miko feels safe enough to drop off.

She is only distantly aware of Inutaisho curling up around her on top of the bedcovers and is lulled into unconsciousness by the feel of ghostly fingertips caressing her scalp and a gentle growling croon in the back of her mind.

"Love you, 'taisho," she mumbles as she slips into dreaming, blissfully unaware of the wild triumph that flashes across her companion's face.

**Festival**

Unusually, when Kagome arrives at school the next day she finds out that lessons have been pushed back due to a cultural festival. Inutaisho's expression of puppy-dog-eyed hopefulness is what persuades her to let her friends rope her into helping, and she winds up doing three different things, one with each friend.

They comment on Dokuseiga, which Kagome is reluctant to leave anywhere due to its toxic bite. Fortunately Sesshoumaru has seen to all possible contingencies and ensured the fang's natural disguise -similar in concept to Tessaiga's looking like a dull and rusty blade- is something that would not appear out of place hanging off a lady's obi. It looks like a blunt ivory dagger wrapped and knotted in pink silk and is barely longer than Kagome's hand. The hardest part is stopping people from touching it, but as her friends are female and have no ingrained hatred of youkai, the miko guesses Ayumi, Yuri and Eri are safe from the blade's corrosive temperament.

Kagome suspects the sword-spirit would have followed her regardless of whether she'd left the fang behind; In his own way Sesshoumaru is almost as inquisitive as his sire.

**Extortion**

The next day Ayumi strong-arms Kagome into singing a solo part in the choir and Eri pushes her into taking over a principal role in the festival play when the two girls she is replacing respectively fall ill and are injured. Inutaisho finds her predicament hilarious while Dokuseiga just looks disdainful, his body language scorning her for being such a doormat.

The Dog General swiftly ceases to find her situation entertaining when Hojo approaches Kagome, revealing that he and she are the production's romantic leads and suggesting they practice together that evening. The soft growling in her mind and sense of rising ire rippling through her aura are all the incentive the miko needs to dash off home.

**Practice**

The day before the festival Kagome takes some of the himono into school to add to the buffet Yuri has conned her into helping with. Choir practice and the play rehearsal pass in a blur, but at least Inutaisho has given up sniggering behind a hand in favour of helping her remember her lines. However the dead daiyoukai's utter disdain for Hojo -shared by Dokuseiga- makes getting into character practically impossible.

**Friend**

When she gets home that evening Inuyasha is waiting for her. The hanyou wants her to go back to the Sengoku Jidai with him, which she refuses to do then explains about the festival, which her grandfather promptly invites him to join them in going to. Kagome softens a little when her dog-eared friend mumbles something about wanting to see her; Inuyasha does have severe abandonment issues.

* * *

><p>Kagome returns home and barely gets to rest at all. Oh well, a change is as good as a rest, right?<p> 


	41. Pandemonium

**Pandemonium**

…

**Mystery**

On the day of the festival Kagome arrives to find all the carefully prepared food ruined and those responsible for the buffet panicking. Being the only girl present accustomed to thinking fast in a crisis, the miko takes charge and organises Yuri and her peers for a quick trip to the supermarket to buy more food.

As Kagome's culinary experience is more geared towards preparing what you can catch and gather in the wild, the dishes she hurries her minions into preparing from shop food are a bit... strange, but will probably work out.

**Demon**

As she leaves the domestic sciences room she gets a prickling feeling of being followed. Pausing for a moment, Kagome glances around, one hand on Dokuseiga...

… and starts wildly as Inutaisho swears, staring up at a mushroom-headed himoko youkai that just walked through the wall.

The miko reacts on instinct, drawing Dokuseiga and slashing through the demon's head. The youkai makes a weird bubbling sound before falling to the ground in pieces. As she stares at the disintegrating remains in shock Inuyasha dashes up, a hat covering his distinctive ears, with her entire family in tow.

**Himono**

Kagome is surprised to learn that himono turns back into demons on coming into contact with boiling water, her embarrassment enhanced by Inutaisho laughing himself sick behind her at the story of Inuyasha rescuing her grandfather from demonic resurrected fish. The Dog General's mirth echoes in her head and even _Dokuseiga's_ eyes are oddly shiny though its face is the usual blank mask.

When she confesses she brought back four Inuyasha looks delighted, saying he would just have to kill the remaining two himself, so they don't ruin the festival, of course. Kagome's grandfather offers some of his -useless- sutras and her mother worries about their safety. Souta is to caught up in his hero worship of Inuyasha -he killed it with his claws!- and his big sister -Kagome has a cool sword!- to really understand the danger.

**Camouflage**

When Ayumi comes in and sees Inuyasha without his hat on Kagome fears the jig is up, but her friend doesn't seem to notice the hanyou's cute puppy ears, instead dragging the miko away to get ready. When Kagome follows her friend back to the main hallway she understands why Ayumi didn't make a scene about Inuyasha's appearance or the fact he had Tessaiga hanging from his waist: Everyone else is wearing incredibly strange outfits. The hanyou looks almost normal compared to some of the others.

**Song**

While Kagome is singing with the choir -with Inutaisho prompting her when she loses track of the words- Inuyasha spots one of the last two himono demons, jumps it and kills it with his Sankon Tessou, his weakest attack that uses only his claws and youki.

After the song Kagome tries to join Inuyasha in hunting down the last youkai but Eri catches her and hauls her off to get ready for the play. The miko's only consolation is that she manages to pass off Dokuseiga's disguised form as part of her costume.

**Play**

In her nervousness and determination to get the play over with fast so she can kill the temporally displaced youkai Kagome messes up her lines, cutting out half the play and turning a tear-jerking romance into a farce. The audience doesn't seem to mind though.

Then Inuyasha dashes on-stage saying he's found the demon. Kagome gets Hojo to play along, but the two boys get in an argument about who Kagome will go with and Hojo challenges Inuyasha to a duel, unaware of the ghostly inu behind the argued-over miko murmuring '_mine'_.

The demon's arrival on stage before the fight can go ahead is almost a relief, but Inuyasha's use of Tessaiga's Kazu no Kizu attack on it could politely be considered overkill. The hole in the roof of the theatre is evidence that the hanyou went slightly overboard there.

Sensing this is a good moment to end things, Kagome improvises a dramatic leaving speech and gets Inuyasha to leave through the hole in the ceiling with her. The applause from the audience is tremendous, though Kagome could do without Inutaisho's booming chuckles and shaking sides and Dokuseiga's utterly bemused expression.

* * *

><p>Thus the cultural festival draws to a close. My computer has just died on me so I'm working from a laptop now; updates may be slower if my precious fails to start again tomorrow.<p> 


	42. Caught

**Caught**

…

**Noticed**

The incident with Chokyukai was what tipped off Inuyasha that something was going on with Kagome. He had seemed completely oblivious up until then, but the clash with that particular demon was so insanely obvious that even _Kouga_ wouldn't have missed it if he'd been there.

**Hunting**

The Inutachi arrives in a village where young girls were being abducted by a demon who claimed he intended to marry them. Miroku naturally offers to aid so many young and beautiful women, but Sango drags him along to join the rest of the tachi in tracking down the offending demon rather than leave him behind to 'guard' the remaining pretty girls.

Inutaisho is very twitchy indeed at the prospect of a maiden-stealing youkai, but doesn't try to stop Kagome from going along to help. His concession is rewarded as the miko gifts him with a dazzling smile for his forbearance.

**Enchanted**

The demon turns out to be a boar, much to Inuyasha's disappointment. The pig youkai -called Chokyukai- promptly propositions Kagome with a Miroku-style 'will you bear my child?' which sets the Dog General growling and agitating the youki in the miko's aura.

The boar looks inordinately proud when Kagome connects his vapid boasting to the classical tale of the Journey West and tries to claim her as his bride, aiming a gold tiara at her head. Inuyasha knocks her out of the way, but in doing so the circlet ends up on _his_ head.

It so happens that the tiara makes the wearer fall in love with Chokyukai the pig, which is hilarious and disturbing when first Inuyasha then Miroku wind up wearing it. Especially during Inuyasha's turn; Dokuseiga seems to be taking care to memorise the hanyou's lovestruck and girlish display.

The trouble starts when the boar tires of the mayhem and makes the tiara land on Kagome's head.

**Incident**

As soon as the gold circlet settles on her hair Kagome is thrust into a fuzzy and limbo-like world, barely able to discern what is really happening to her in the real world. She does however remain extremely aware of Inutaisho's sudden fury and the emergence of his inner beast, which roars _through_ her with the strength and power of a runaway freight train and shatters the limbo she is trapped in like so much spun sugar.

Kagome returns to herself across the clearing from where she started, Chokyukai unconscious, burnt and bleeding in a crater at her feet, his minions cowering in fear and the rest of the Inutachi staring back at her with saucer-like eyes. Behind her Inutaisho is rumbling like the aftershocks of an earthquake, arms snug around her middle and rubbing his cheek against the side of her face. A few feet away lies the tiara, twisted and melted almost to the point of being unrecognisable.

**Demand**

After Inuyasha kills Chokyukai and bullies the minions into telling him where the boar's other stolen 'brides' are, he turns to Kagome and pins her with a strange look.

"We'll rescue the girls first, then you'll explain what the hell just happened," the hanyou says firmly. As they leave to perform their rescue Kagome can't help but wonder what she is supposed to say. Inutaisho, sensible and sane once more, brushes a hand over her cheek, looking slightly embarrassed. The Dog General promises everything will be alright, but Kagome really isn't sure it will be. She has been hiding a great deal from them for a very long time.

* * *

><p>The truth is out. Oh dearie dearie me. First major deviation from canon, too.<p> 


	43. Shippo

**Shippo**

…

**Unspoken**

Shippo is very young for a kitsune, not even a century old, but he is still very observant; even his tou-san said so. Kagome often tells him what a bright boy he is, but Shippo is also smart enough to know that some of the things he sees are not to be voiced out loud. Like when Sango stares into the fire with hollow eyes, how Inuyasha is always twitchier inside villages than outside them and how Miroku's propositions to random pretty women are not usually sincere.

But the big one, the thing he is careful to never even hint at, is the youki that radiates through Kagome's pure aura.

**Identity**

That youki wasn't much more than a trace when he first met her; back then he thought it was Inuyasha's, sign that the two were mated or otherwise bound. Not long after joining Kagome he determined that, although the same scent clung to Tessaiga, it did not belong to the hanyou. Similar, yes; the same, no.

Later clashes with Sesshoumaru enlightened Shippo further as the youki clung to Tenseiga as well and mingled with the daiyoukai's own formidable aura. Again, Sesshoumaru's scent was very similar to the unknown one but not quite the same.

**Concealed**

After Sou'unga the amount of youki in Kagome's aura increases drastically. Most of it is hidden within her body but a consistent quantity seeps out, tingeing her scent more strongly than before. Confusingly enough her holy powers remain completely pure, seeming to ignore the strongly demonic energy that clung to her very soul. It was almost like Kagome's miko powers were a shell protecting her inner being and this youki had bypassed the shell completely to hide within, safe from attack and almost undetectable.

Well, Inuyasha and Kouga never seemed to notice. Shippo was sure Sesshoumaru had though, as had Miroku, which was why the little fox had such a low opinion of both hanyou and ookami. Hey, the _human_ spotted it first; so much for 'superior youkai senses'.

**Emergence**

Shippo loves Kagome like the mother he doesn't remember ever having before, so he was terrified when the dumb boar demon's love tiara landed on her head. What happened next though was nothing like he expected. Kagome _did_ initially go all gooey like Inuyasha and Miroku had and wandered over to the demon, but the youki in her aura had shot up with every step she took, wild and feral, until she was actually standing next to the boar and it roiled around her like a raging storm. It was scarily like the times Inuyasha lost Tessaiga, except more powerful.

The dumb pig had just enough time to look puzzled when Kagome's eyes had gone red and she snarled like a dog, youki exploding out from around her body in all directions like one of Renkotsu's bombs. The blast destroyed the gold circlet on her head, threw the boar into the ground so hard he left a deep crater and tore dozens of bleeding wounds into the dumb pig's body like when Inuyasha used his claws.

Then Kagome blinked, her eyes returned to normal and the youki subsided like it had never been.

**Protection**

After the rest of the girls the pig demon had abducted were retruned to their village Inuyasha led the Inutachi down the road for a few hours before stopping in a small clearing. Shippo was nervous: his Kaa-san's secret, the big, scary one, was about to be dragged into the open. Kagome was nervous too, so nervous the youki had come out of hiding again and wrapped around her like it was trying to comfort her, too.

* * *

><p>Shippo, as requested by numerous reviewers. Yes, he noticed too. He never mentioned it because he instinctively understood that drawing attention to it would be bad.<p> 


	44. Out

**Out**

…

**Conversation**

"So," the hanyou grunted, dropping to sit on the grass near where Sango had started to build a fire, "who is he?"

"He?" Kagome repeated nervously.

"Yeah, _he_," Inuyasha confirmed, voice weirdly even, "the male who you've agreed to mate with." The red-clad hanyou eyeballed the miko. "I didn't notice before 'cause your holy aura covered it up, but you're soulbound to an inuyoukai. A daiyoukai, even; I'm surprised he hasn't come to see what all the fuss was about yet." He paused. "Is it Sesshoumaru?"

"What? No!" Kagome spluttered, then explained: "Er, he's from the House of the West and you've never met him before. That's why Sesshoumaru treats me like pack now."

"Pack? Why doesn't he treat _me_ any better then when _I'm_ the one looking after you?" Inuyasha complained.

"Er, he sees me as our group's alpha," Kagome squeaked.

"The HELL? I'm alpha-"

"Sit." there was a thud as the hanyou hit the dirt. "That's why he insists I'm alpha," Kagome babbled, "but on the plus side it means he's stopped trying to kill you since I'm in his pack and you're second in my pack, isn't that good news?"

Inuyasha just growled, still face down in the dirt.

"Does this male make you happy?" Sango asked intently. Kagome's features softened and her eyes flickered sideways for an instant.

"Yes, very much. He is always very caring and attentive, but doesn't treat me like a china doll to be wrapped up and protected, which is nice: he acknowledges me as a warrior if not exactly an equal."

"Why hasn't he introduced himself to us yet, considering we are travelling with you?" Miroku asked, "And what is his name?"

Kagome cringed.

"Well?" Inuyasha demanded belligerently, climbing out of his hole and standing there with arms folded. Shippo thought he was grumpy about the alpha thing. Sesshoumaru was right though: Kagome _was_ alpha.

"Er, you haven't seen him because he's very good at not being seen or smelt," Kagome said evasively, "but he's been keeping an eye on me ever since the mess with Sou'unga."

"Which is why you've been going off alone a lot lately to, ahem, 'bathe'," Miroku figured out with a lecherous little grin.

"Yes, I've been seeing him then," Kagome admitted, though Shippo could sense she was still hiding something despite not having lied about anything as yet.

"His _name_, _Ka-go-me_," Inuyasha growled insistently. The miko threw her arms up in the air.

"Fine! He is Inutaisho, former Lord of the House of the West, a ghost, _your_ father and wants you to know that your manners are utterly abysmal!"

Shippo was not the only one utterly pole-axed by her outburst.

* * *

><p>So the dog is out of the bag. Cliffhanger!<p> 


	45. Seen

**Seen**

...

**Revealed**

Inuyasha looked like he was about to accuse Kagome of lying so Sango hastily intervened:

"Kagome, could you explain a little, please? It just all sounds a bit farfetched when you've never mentioned seeing ghosts before."

"It's not just ghosts," the young miko sighed, shoulders sagging. "I could see Suikotsu's other personality –whichever 'other' it was- as well."

"Oh." Sango wasn't sure what else she could say at that point.

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha exploded. "Kikyou never mentioned seeing spirits or souls so there's no way you could when you're just her reincar-"

"SIT!" The hanyou was slammed into the ground as Kagome clenched her fists, right hand hovering dangerously near Dokuseiga's hilt. "Inuyasha, since you obviously haven't noticed yet I'll spell it out: I. Am. NOT. Kikyou's. Reincarnation! We just happen to look a bit similar!"

"You, you're not?" the hanyou mumbled, spitting out a clod of dirt. "But, but Urasue said she needed your soul to resurrect Kikyou."

"That's because Kikyou's soul was attached to the shikon and therefore to me, Inuysha," Kagome sighed, "and because she needed a piece of my soul to bind Kikyou into her clay body. Naraku uses shikon shards to keep the people he's resurrected in their bodies. Urasue used a shard of actual soul instead. That's all."

"Oh." Sango thought 'oh' was a serious understatement. Kagome had just implied her soul was like the shikon, suggesting she was the reincarnation of a very different miko.

"When did the esteemed Inutaisho-sama join our little band?" Miroku asked, looking rather intrigued at the concept of a ghostly suitor.

"After Sou'unga. He was visible for a moment, remember? Right after that he attached himself to me." Kagome paused, head cocked on one side as if listening to a voice no-one else could hear. "The incomplete nature of my soul made me very vulnerable to possession by outside forces; only my holy ki prevented any old demon from moving in. He was powerful enough to bypass that and his presence will counteract anyone attempting that in future. Which is sorta what happened with the tiara."

"Perhaps because the artefact was designed to suppress a person's will?" Miroku mused. "I see."

Sango noticed that the monk seemed a little sceptical of the timeline Kagome had given, but judging by Inuyasha's expression the miko hadn't actually lied yet.

"Okay, so my old man's soulbound himself to you," Inuyasha said grudgingly. "Why?"

"Erm, because he's courting me?"

"Yeah, but why? You're not pretty or powerful or anything like that so-" the hanyou broke off, eyes saucer-like as youki exploded from Kagome's aura and coalesced around her threateningly, glowing with rage and sheer power. The miko's eyes glistened with tears as Inutaisho's translucent form came into being, arms wrapped protectively around Kagome's middle as he glared at his youngest son over the top of her head.

**Anger**

Sango watched Inuyasha cringe under the weight of the spirit's glare, the fury and disapproval visible on the Dog General's face making the hanyou's ears flatten miserably against his head. Inutaisho then deliberately turned away from his son and cuddled Kagome closer, bending forward to kiss away the tears sliding down her cheeks and then continue along her cheekbones and up her ears. This intimate and possessive display sent Inuyasha off into the woods at a run. The demon slayer suspected the hanyou was –selfishly- feeling betrayed by both parties at the moment; he probably felt his father and Kagome were supposed to love _him_, not eachother.

**Curiosity**

After the hanyou had stormed off Inutaisho faded from sight once more and his oppressive presence faded to nothing, although his youki remained twined around Kagome's slender form.

"So, you have an invisible admirer," Miroku said lightly, breaking the tension with a slightly suggestive expression. "What _have_ you two been getting up to under our noses, I wonder?"

Kagome flushed red then narrowed her eyes at the perverted monk. "Inutaisho wants you to know that if that cursed hand of yours comes anywhere near me he'll cut it off, thereby ending the curse abd preventing you from using it to your advantage."

Sango smiled happily at Miroku's suddenly very nervous expression.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha opens his big mouth and puts his foot in it. He's such a kid sometimes. Oh, and proof!<p> 


	46. Mirror

A bit of a flashback, as it's relevant to the general plot. Enjoy.

**Mirror**

...

**Memory**

Kagome doesn't like remembering the Inutachi's run-in with Kaguya, the fallen celestial maiden, but the incident comes to mind with depressing frequency. Her friends never indicated that they noticed anything about the encounter worth mentioning later, but that doesn't mean there wasn't anything unusual about what happened and what was said.

**Innate**

The corrupt tennyou had intended to absorb Kagome's already battered soul, stating two clearly expressed reasons for wanting to do so: Kaguya wanted her miko powers but also –more ominously- other abilities she claimed Kagome had. She said Kagome was 'immune to the effects of time' and could erect 'time barriers'; powers Kaguya wanted for herself.

As she was ultimately unsuccessful in her attempts to assimilate the temporally displaced miko and killed soon after, the Inutachi seemed to have put the entire incident behind them and completely forgotten the celestial maiden's claims.

Except for Kagome herself, who worries about those statements at odd hours of the day and night, turning the words over in her mind.

**Time**

If Kagome is immune to the effects of time then she will neither age beyond maturity nor die of old age. More than that, surreptitious experiments reveal that 'time barriers' –after a bit of practice- can prevent or speed up the effects of time's passing within an enclosed area. The miko has seen a flower seed fast-forwarded through its entire life cycle in a few minutes and watched a raindrop's fall slowed to a crawl.

No human or youkai has such power -it is reserved for the kami- and only the mightiest daiyoukai are immune to time's effects. Is this anomaly an accidental side-effect of being the shikon miko and able to time-travel or is it a sigh of something more?

Who –or what- is she really?

* * *

><p>Spooky. Why do very few people spot this, I wonder?<p> 


	47. Sulking

**Sulking**

...

**Shunned**

After the revelation that his father's ghost was haunting –and courting- Kagome, Inuyasha set about ignoring her completely. All through the mission against the swamp demon possessing a wall hanging that was controlling women and eating men in order to regenerate the hanyou neither looked at Kagome nor spoke to her. He didn't even react when she 'sat' him out of sheer frustration.

Miroku felt Inuyasha was fortunate Kagome was a forbearing soul, or else she might actually have drawn Dokuseiga and attacked him with the toxic blade rather than just limited herself to fingering the hilt.

**Bonds**

In response to Inuyasha's pigheadedness Sango had become much closer to the miko out of solidarity and Shippo became utterly obnoxious whenever the hanyou was within range, pranking him at every opportunity then retreating back to Kagome's shoulder. As Inuyasha would not go near the miko, the kit could pretty much do as he pleased with no repercussions so long as he escaped fast enough.

The little kitsune had become much closer to Kagome after her revelation, so much so that he had recently plucked up the courage to ask if he could call her 'kaa-san'. The young miko had agreed with a smile and a hug, whispering something in the kit's ear that made his eyes go wide before he bounced and squeaked for joy.

Miroku had no idea what had been said, but Shippo had been extra attentive in his lessons and very eager for bedtime stories since then.

**Discourse**

When the Inutachi ran into Sesshoumaru while fighting a princess who had sold herself to demons like Naraku had and had stolen Tessaiga, Inuyasha shocked everyone by actually entering in something approaching a civil conversation with his half-brother:

"Oi! Sesshoumaru! Did _you_ know father's ghost was courting Kagome?"

The daiyoukai looked almost bored by the question. "This Sesshoumaru has been aware of the situation regarding the miko and this one's father's intentions since defeating Sou'unga, little brother. Why else would this one be training her?"

The hanyou blinked. "Wait; she told _you_?"

Sesshoumaru pinned his younger sibling with a _look_. "This one noticed father's youki on the miko and confronted her. That you failed to notice the dramatic change in her aura until now is further proof of your inferior breeding."

"Why, you bastard!"

The situation would probably have devolved into a fight had the demon-ridden princess not picked that moment to attack again.

**Encouragement**

After both princess and demons were destroyed by Sesshoumaru wielding a resistant Tessaiga Miroku notices that the daiyoukai wanders off towards Kagome, to whom he gives the angrily vibrating fang blade in his hand before lowering his head to speak to her quietly.

The monk does not know what is being said nor does he dare wander close enough to overhear, but Kagome nods a few times, shakes her head then raises her hands in a helpless gesture. Sesshoumaru inclines his head in response then says something that clearly shocks the little miko, making her stare up at him for a moment before smiling radiantly and bowing low in gratitude.

The daiyoukai then leaves, Jakken at his heels. Kagome seems much more calm and thoughtful after that encounter and her newfound peace seems to be making Inuyasha increasingly on edge with every day that passes.

* * *

><p>Oh, dear, what can the matter be... Inuyasha likes to ignore problems until they go away. Not a good attitude to have.<p> 


	48. Schism

**Schism**

...

**Abandonment**

Inuyasha's shunning of Kagome continues through a mission for the monk who raised Miroku after his father's death and an encounter with a paper-like demon that Shippo helps to defeat. His continued stubborn animosity angers Tessaiga, who quietly leaves the hanyou's side and gravitates back to Kagome. It is a little odd for the miko to be shadowed by Inutaisho, an Inutaisho/Inuyasha hybrid copy and a Sesshoumaru copy, but the two sword-spirits barely interact with her –or eachother– at all so she adapts quickly. Dokuseiga only shows an interest when there's a fight in the offing and Tessaiga just hovers a few feet away from her, pointedly ignoring his wielder and doing nothing in particular.

Kagome is amazed that the hanyou is yet to notice that Tessaiga is not responding properly, but it's been a while since he tried to use the blade in battle and Inuyasha doesn't seem even slightly attuned to the fang's more subtle moods.

**Departure**

Tired of being ignored and starting to seriously consider Sesshoumaru's offer, the miko is grateful for the chance of a trip home through the well that occurs when Inuyasha leads the group back to Kaede's village and announces they'll be staying for a few days. That the visit is 'plus three' is slightly disconcerting, but Tessaiga is content to drift around the shrine while Kagome goes to school for a few days, Inutaisho at her side and Dokuseiga's disguised form tucked inside the waistband of her skirt. The sword-spirit has been less scornful of her school uniform after witnessing for itself that all the girls wear it, but she can tell it really doesn't approve of her showing that much skin.

That the Dog General seems to appreciate the view is another matter entirely.

**Gossip**

Kagome does fairly well in the test –credit to Inutaisho for helping her study– and is cornered shortly after getting her results by her three friends, who want to hear what she's been up to lately. More embarrassingly, they divine –accurately– that she has a boyfriend. Inutaisho is swiftly cast as Inuyasha's eldest brother so as not to scandalise them with the age difference and Kagome admits that he is charming, attentive, good-looking and that she likes him a lot. Yuri, Eri and Ayumi then want to know if Inuyasha has any more brothers, bringing Sesshoumaru into the conversation.

The miko describes the daiyoukai as 'very traditional, very formal and very cold, but he cares a lot for his little sister' –meaning Rin– 'and is always polite to me' which leads to further condemnation of the hanyou for his recent misbehaviour.

"How dare he treat you so badly and run after that other girl then resent you when he finds out you've fallen for his big brother!" Eri exclaims. "What a dog in a manger!"

Dokuseiga seems to find the conversation demanding his attention in the same way that people can't look away from a car crash, while Inutaisho is smugly lapping up all the praise being sent in his direction.

**Memories**

When Hojo shows her his family tree it reminds Kagome that she actually met his ancestor in the Castle of Mirrors before fighting Kaguya. Hojo Akitoki has just as big a crush on her as his descendent, which is a bit embarrassing but does prove they are related. It turns out said ancestor married a Kagome, which makes the miko wonder if the doe-eyed man has met the woman in question yet.

Hojo's departure does not end her torment: her three friends have photographs of the cultural festival to share with her. Seeing herself in the silly dress she had to wear for the play is not a fond memory, but the inexplicable pale smudge hovering behind her in every single picture is the cause of much speculation.

Kagome had heard that ghosts could be photographed, but she'd never seen evidence of it being possible before now. She accepts a few pictures to take home, including one of Inuyasha killing the himono.

**Mission**

On returning to the Sengoku Jidai with her three spirit following Kagome finds that Hojo's ancestor has found the tachi and needs an escort to the Shrine of Furai. He has to purify a demonic blade, one half of the Naginata of Kenkon, and now that Mt. Hakurei is no more the Shrine is the holiest place in existence.

The spirit of the Ken blade Akitoki carries is like a many-headed hydra with faces like beautiful women all whispering seductively and calling out alluringly, even through the holy shround wrapped around the weapon to restrain it. Kagome is not fooled by the feathered wings and delicate features: the Blade of Heaven is as evil as Sou'unga was and she is reluctant to go anywhere near it.

Learing from Myoga the flea youkai that Hoshiyomi, the demon who commissioned the weapon in the first place, wants it remade is the icing on the cake; that he already had the Kon blade and a following of ninja youkai who do his bidding is the cherry on top.

* * *

><p>Tessaiga runs out of patience, Kagome tells her school friends about her new 'boyfriend' and another demonic blade makes it debut. My computer still isn't working, which is a total drag.<p> 


	49. Perspectives

**Perspectives**

...

**Inuyasha**

The Inutachi is ambushed during the night and Kagome and Akitoki both end up falling into the river, which is rather typical. Klutzes, the both of them. Hoshiyomi himself confronts the rest of the band and the slayer suggests a change of plan: Inuyasha can fight the demon while the rest of them chase after the two missing members and the ninjas.

Inuyasha is initially fine with this plan, but soon finds himself in trouble: not only is Hoshiyomi's Kon blade absorbing his Wind Scar attacks, but Tessaiga isn't even working properly! He can't access Red Tessaiga at all to get through the Kon blade's barriers and even the Wind Scar is barely half strength, if that. The faint sense of the blade's presence on the edge of his mind is grumbling and reluctant, fighting him every step of the way.

The hanyou decides this must somehow be Kagome's fault. Ever since he found out that she was messing around with his father on the sly his whole life has gone to hell. Inuyasha is barely aware of Tessaiga's sudden snap of sheer ire and abrupt departure from his mind; his own thoughts are so confusing and untidy anyway he rarely notices the fang at all.

Then Hoshiyomi ups and leaves, forcing Inuyasha to chase after him.

**Kagome**

Falling into the river was unfortunate but not serious for Kagome: youkai clothing offers more protection than you'd think and her relentless physical training had improved her reflexes considerably. She survives the ordeal dripping wet but mostly uninjured.

Akitoki however does manage to gash his leg on a rock so when they escape the river's clutches the miko has to help him walk as they trek through the forest in search of somewhere safe to stop. On settling down to camp for the rest of the night and dry their clothes –well, Akitoki's clothes– Kagome makes a fire and cooks ramen from her fortunately waterproof bag. This earns her some Hojo-esque praise for her 'home cooking', which is frankly tiresome.

Inutaisho is both wary and disapproving of the meek man's puppy-like adoration of _his_ miko, but does not become either feral or overtly possessive. The Dog General recognises that Kagome is neither interested nor overly bothered by the infatuation Akitoki has for her and will let the man know she is taken if he actually expresses his feelings aloud.

After a little while their campsite is approached by what looks like Eri, Yuri and Ayumi. Kagome swiftly identifies them as puppets and shoots them down with her bow, only to be ambushed from behind and knocked unconscious. Her last thoughts are on how Dokuseiga and Sesshoumaru will never let her live this down.

* * *

><p>A bit of interlude as the plot progresses. Which reminds me, I need to do a bit more with Kanna...<p> 


	50. Pursuit

**Pursuit**

...

**Hostage**

Sango is not exactly surprised when Tessaiga does not transform for Inuyasha. Hoshiyomi has an unconscious Kagome cradled in his arms, so to attack the demon would inevitably harm the miko as well. On top of that, well Inuyasha hasn't exactly been protecting Kagome of late, preferring to ignore her and leave her to fend for herself.

Hoshiyomi offers to accept the Ken blade in exchange for the temporally-displaced miko's life, then leaves in the direction of the Furai shrine, Kagome still in his arms.

Sango wonders how Inutaisho is taking all this.

**Isolation**

In the rush to catch up with Kagome's abductor, the Inutachi are all separated from eachother and have to face Hoshiyomi's demon ninjas in single combat. The demon slayer notices that Inuyasha is forced to resort to normal swordplay and using his claws when Tessaiga again refuses to cooperate. The hanyou is almost steaming with rage and humiliation at being so limited in how he can attack.

**Determination**

As the fights continue Akitoki is suddenly dragged bodily from the field, pulled away towards the shrine by the Ken blade strapped to his back. Realising that something is afoot, Sango puts forth new effort into her fight. Inuyasha maybe in denial about how precious Kagome is to him, but the miko is and always will be the slayer's heart-sister and Sango wants her back.

**Standoff**

When the ninjas are finally defeated and the tachi reach the shrine, they discover that Hoshiyomi has already mended the Naginata of Kenkon. The pale-haired youkai with purple facial markings and samurai armour floats in the air with an unconscious Kagome tucked under one arm and the naginata gripped in his other hand, gloating about the sheer invincibility of his new weapon.

Sango does not like the insane light in his now orangey-red eyes at all. She and Miroku both attack the demon, but their attempts are unsuccessful. Akitoki then begs Hoshiyomi to release the miko, proclaiming his undying love for the girl, but the demon refuses to be moved. The young man does provoke a response from Kagome though: the youki in her aura stirs and coils around her as Inutiasho reacts to Akitoki's confession, defending his prior claim.

* * *

><p>More Sango, because she's cool.<p> 


	51. Confessions

**Confessions**

...

**Lament**

Kagome wakes after being knocked out to find herself firmly tied up on an altar while Hoshiyomi makes preparations around her for some kind of ritual. Noticing that she has awoken, the youkai tells her his tragic life story: how the human samurai lady he loved, Tsukiyumi, for whom he commissioned the Naginata of Kenkon, sealed him away and broke his gift to her.

The miko tries to escape, but her captor has taken no chances and her bonds are secure. It is flattering to be treated as a capable threat for once, but being unable to defend herself is a pain. Inutaisho seems more sad than anything else; Kagome guesses he knew Hoshiyomi once, back before either met their mortal loves.

One of the ties around her waist is disintegrating, where it is in contact with Dokuseiga. The miko is very grateful in that moment that her sword is so incredibly toxic: both the ninjas and Hoshiyomi himself were clearly unable to take it from her, so were forced to make do with tying her up. As she expected, the sword-spirit is displeased by her current predicament.

**Evil**

The Kon blade in Hoshiyomi's possession is just as bad as the Ken blade Akitoki has, another many-headed hydra with human faces –male this time– and broad wings of black membrane stretched over slender bones. The dozens of heads bob around Hoshiyomi's face, whispering in his ears and crooning happily at the destruction he proposes.

As the youkai's ritual progresses Akitoki is dragged into the shrine by the Ken blade strapped to his back. Glowing hungrily, the other half of the Naginata escapes its human custodian and leaps towards its vibrating counterpart.

As the two evil sword-spirits merge Kagome feels something tear loose inside her and Inutaisho howls, a nameless, formless and alien sensation searing both miko and ghost. Even Dokuseiga shows outright alarm as the world dissolves into inky spots and Kagome passes out again.

**Possession**

Kagome stirs to wakefulness as something else hijacks her body –_again_– and she watches as if through thick warped glass as Tsukiyumi takes over the miko's abused frame to confront her former beloved. The lady samurai reminds Hoshiyomi of their past together, warns him of how evil the Naginata of Kenkon truly is and how she only bound him so she would have a chance to purify the blade. She pleads that it was –and is– controlling him, and that she would have freed him had she actually lived beyond breaking the evil blade in two.

Hoshiyomi hesitates for an instant then rejects her utterly, striking out with the Naginata and incidentally releasing Kagome from her trance-like state. The miko is thrown to the ground, or would have been had Inuyasha not finally got over his pigheadedness and caught her.

**Apologies**

Kagome instantly wobbles back to her feet and tries to fire a holy arrow at Hoshiyomi, but finds to her dismay that her reserves of spiritual power have been completely emptied. She can barely even sense Inutaisho's youki and the spirit himself is nowhere in sight. The miko almost panics, dropping her bow and reaching for her sword, when Inuyasha steps in front of her, a transformed Tessaiga in hand.

"Kagome, I'm an idiot," the hanyou mutters gruffly, peering at her sideways with his puppy ears drooping like a dog who knows he's going to get punished. "I'm a moron, an ass and I'll totally deserve it if you decide to sit me halfway to hell then finish me off with Dokuseiga. I'm sorry. Can we be friends again?"

The miko grins giddily, happy that things are back to how they should be. Then the moment is over as Hoshiyomi plummets down from the sky to attack her.

**Faith**

Inuyasha is swiftly tossed aside, as is Akitoki when he foolishly throws himself in front of Kagome, declaring his undying love for her. Making the most of the time the two males have won for her Kagome grimly centres herself, reaching deep inside to tap the source of the power she knows she has but still barely understands. While she can use her holy abilities reasonably well now, the miko still does not know what they _are_. Sending up a brief plea for strength to Tsukiyumi Kagome levels her bow at Hoshiyomi, pulls back the string and fires.

The arrow that shoots towards the mark is a pink so pale it is almost white and pierces deep into the rampaging demons shoulder, batting him away from Hojo's ancestor like so much paper. Hoshjiyomi staggers to his feet, enraged, as Kagome redies another arrow and Inuyasha charges forward, Tessaiga in hand, sword-spirit at his side wielding the serrated Wakizashi that represents the fang's most powerful attack.

**Adieu**

After Hoshiyomi is defeated and Kagome has purified the Naginata of Kenkon so completely its spirit is obliterated, the miko sits down with Akitoki and quietly explains to him that she is formally betrothed to one of Inuyasha's relatives. Said relative had finally remanifested and was hovering behind her anxiously, clawed fingers petting her scalp as the ghostly daiyoukai reassured himself she was still alive and with him.

The human honourably retracts his suit and wishes her all the best before bidding the Inutachi goodbye. The time-travelling miko hopes he will soon meet his own Kagome, the one on Hojo's family tree, and settle down happily ever after. It is always nice to know that some people are managing to live happily, and she is still unsure of what exactly has been done to her by Hoshiyomi's ritual. She no longer feels quite the same.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha gets over himself and there is much ominous forshadowing.<p> 


	52. Detachment

**Detachment**

...

**Proficiency**

Kagome was, to her own mild dismay, quite pleased to hear that an elderly monk had managed to cut Naraku's babylike incarnation into pieces. That Akago and his escort and minder Kagura had been raiding villages and killing holy men for some time now only makes her sense of satisfaction that little monster had had his comeuppance harder to eradicate.

Dokuseiga clearly approves of her new attitude, so much so that her practice sessions with the fang recently revealed a brand new attack for her to learn. This new ability is very much like Sesshoumaru's energy whip, but Kagome is still far from mastering it. Controlling a flexible length of youki is much harder than it looks and purity of intent will only take her so far; she needs to _visualise_ the desired effects.

For someone as emotional and scatty as Kagome, this is not easy. At least she knows how to meditate, has time to practice in and a willing helper who can coach her a little: Inutaisho has training in wielding whips in combat and a lot of advice to offer.

**Awakening**

Kagura and Akago's presence in the area coincidentally unleashes a fiery demon horse called Entei form where it was sealed away; the youkai promptly goes on a chaotic and destructive rampage. The Inutachi do their best to vanquish this new foe, but the demon horse is both swift and powerful, not to mention amazingly resistant to attack. The only attacks that get through are Kagome's Dokkatou, which irritate Entei like stinging flies but deal no serious damage. The miko suspects her new poison whip, the Dokuben, might make more of an impression, but she still can't control it well enough to use on the battlefield. Tessaiga's backlash wave might work, but as the horse hasn't fired any actual youki attacks at them the hanyou hasn't has the opportunity to find out.

**Mount**

The flaming horse eventually tires of random destruction and goes looking for his rider while Kagome and the others follow as fast as they can. The youkai in question is buried in a nearby valley and the tachi arrive just in time to see him rise from the grave. Inuyasha immediately attacks, but the youkai fends him off briefly before mounting Entei and riding away, spear in hand.

**Enemy**

The next day Kagome and the others see Entei again, this time with a different rider and Kagura in tow. The newcomer introduces himself as Hakudoshi, born of one of the separated halves of Akago, making him the newest of Naraku's detachments. Looking about six years old and dressed in pale, scavenged clothing, this pale child is nonetheless the most Naraku-like of the incarnations Kagome has seen so far. Hakudoshi claims to be looking for the last jewel shard, which is apparently located in the afterlife, before riding away with Kagura right behind him.

The time-travelling miko privately wonders where the other half of Akago went and who has it, considering Kagura is babysitting this half.

* * *

><p>Hakudoshi makes his debut. Oh, and Kagome gets more in contact with her less-than-selfless side.<p> 


	53. Kanna

**Kanna**

...

**Attempt**

Kanna has not met Kagome, Inuyasha or their other companions in person other than on that single occasion when she was ordered to steal what remained of the miko's damaged soul with her mirror. Unfortunately for the void child it so happened that, even when rather reduced, Kagome's soul was far too large and pure for her mirror to contain. Kanna chose to deliberately release the soul rather than break her mirror in a futile attempt to restrain it.

**Watch**

Although she has not been required to confront the Inutachi since that once she still sees them every day, spying on them with her mirror to inform her master as he plots and schemes.

Kanna is utterly obedient, doing exactly as she is told and answering all of Naraku's questions dutifully. Everything he asks of her she achieves; the void child lacks both the motive and the will to do otherwise.

**Feeling**

Kanna was the first detachment to be created and the only one to survive more than a few months without either being killed or becoming sufficiently independent to plot rebellion. Naraku does not bother to hold her heart as he does Kagura's; he knows that she lacks the inclination to rebel.

The evil hanyou also assumes that her compliance is born of lacking the emotions necessary to even understand freedom, let alone desire it, but that is not quite true: Kanna knows that she is alive and does not want to die. The void child also feels _something_ –what it is she does not understand- for Kagura; the wind-witch's bitterness at being enslaved gives her a vague sense of sorrow whenever the two interact.

**Meaning**

After Akago was blasted in two by a dying monk Kanna took charge of one of the halves, later being joined by Kohaku to help protect it as she carries it back to Naraku.

Kanna's purpose in life is to do Naraku's bidding and spy on those he seeks to destroy; as such she is more familiar with Kagome and her companions than any other including the evil hanyou himself. This familiarity sometimes leads a small part of her to wonder, as she watches the smiling miko in her mirror, what life would be like with a different purpose.

* * *

><p>Kanna, who is as adorable as she is tragic.<p>

My brother is performing surgical procedures on my computer, so hopefully it will be mended soon. Unless it needs new innards, in which case it will take a week or two.


	54. Search

**Search**

...

**Life**

After a short adventure instigated by Hakudoshi –involving rampaging demons with no heads– the Inutachi try to find a way to get back to the Dog General's grave. The demon graveyard is located on the border between life and death, making access problematic. It is also the likeliest location of the lost shard.

Kagome stays out of the discussions and speculation, more interested in remembering how Sesshoumaru resurrected a decapitated otter demon. The daiyoukai had no real reason to do so –it gained him nothing– yet used Tenseiga nonetheless. It warms the miko's heart to hope that Sesshoumaru is gradually learning compassion for so-called 'lesser beings'.

Tenseiga is even more stunning when it is in use; the sword-spirit's body shines with an ethereal glow as it plunges its delicate tanto into the heart of the one being resurrected while the fang itself drives away the imps of the underworld. As the slim blade strikes there is a flash like lightening and the former corpse draws a new breath, wounds healing as if they never were.

Remembering makes her wonder what Inutaisho would look like while bringing someone back to life.

**Gateway**

A course of action chosen, the group separates. Inuyasha leaves to hunt down Myoga the flea while Kagome takes it upon herself to explain to the rest of the tachi about the first trip to the Dog General's grave site she and the hanyou were involved in. Both the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye and Sesshoumaru's maiming are mentioned, but the miko takes care not to tell about seeing Tessaiga. She knows she is not really human anymore –the miko feels different on the inside now– but letting on was probably not a good idea. Perhaps she will confess when she knows what she _is_ rather than simply what she is _not_.

Inutaisho tells Kagome that in order to go back to his burial site she will need to find Hosenki, the oyster youkai who makes the peals in the first place. The tingly feel of claws on her scalp is comforting and the miko sees no reason to stop him even when he captures the hand that as fiddling with her bow and starts placing teasing, nibbling kisses on her fingers.

When Inuyasha returns with Myoga with news of where Hosenki may be the tachi sets off to find the demon in question, the grass under Inutaisho's feet bending with each step he takes.

**Bait**

While hunting down the oyster demon Inuyasha is briefly confronted by Hakudoshi, who taunts him before escaping on Entei. The encounter makes the hanyou very grumpy and he stomps onward, ears flat against his skull, for almost an hour afterwards. Only a lunch break involving large amounts of ramen prevents his bad temper from lasting even longer.

Kagome wishes Inutaisho could try ramen, but the ghostly daiyoukai is incapable of tasting anything. The Dog General has confided in her that the greatest drawback of his current state is his inability to smell anything; being an inu and unable to perceive scent is like being blind for a human, a terrible disadvantage.

**Trail**

It turns out that Hosenki has died without leaving behind any jewels, making their journey a waste of time. Inuyasha is just asking Myoga if there are any other ways to reach the afterlife when Kagura makes an appearance, riding on a feather.

The wind-witch sourly informs the tachi that Hakudoshi is going to the Mountain in the Realm of Fire, since there is a gateway to the border between the worlds there. She also adds that the childish detachment specifically ordered her to tell Inuyasha where he was going and why.

Not caring for the pale child's motives or Kagome's reservations and concerns, the hanyou immediately bounds away, headed for their new destination. The rest of the group follow in his wake, Dokuseiga eyeing Kagura –who is trailing behind at a safe distance– while Inutaisho tells the temporally-displaced miko everything he remembers about the Realm of Fire, one arm wrapped snugly around her waist.

Kagome is nearly sixteen years old; she hopes her quest will be over before her next birthday but is not holding her breath. She has so many more things she wants to do with her life instead of hunt down jewel shards and defeat Naraku, but sadly her duties have priority.

**Beyond**

The group successfully reach the Realm of Fire and Inuyasha actually manages to defeat the Guardians and open the Gateway to the netherworld with Red Tessaiga, but is unable to pass through. Kagura tries to sneak through the gate, but stops in her tracks when a horde of lesser demons rushing through the gates are instantly turned into stone. Kagome catches a glimpse of the jewel shard shining in the darkness before the gates close again.

That flash of pink twinkling in the void gives her a strange feeling, a sense that the changes that have taken place within her have not yet been completed; a foreshadowing of greater changes to come.

* * *

><p>And so the quest –and the plot– continues. More casual romance, more ominous foreshadowing and more sneaky little hints.<p> 


	55. Past

**Past**

...

**Surprises**

When the Inutachi returns to Kaede's village discouraged by their failure to reach the last jewel shard the elderly miko takes Kagome and Shippo aside to tell them the story of Kikyou and how she came to guard the Shikon. Kagome is shocked to learn that Kikyou and Tsubaki, the dark priestess she met early in her quest, once fought side by side.

Tsubaki at that time prophesied that Kikyou would die a violent death should she ever fall in love.

Not much later the Tajina tribe Sango would later be born into found the Shikon jewel and entrusted it to Kikyou, making the miko a target for an endless stream of greedy demons. What Kagome did not expect is that Inuyasha was one of those demons, yet Kikyou let him live time after time.

**Selfish**

Kikyou later took in and healed the bandit Onigumo and was confronted by Tsubaki, who had noticed the miko's affection for Inuyasha. A while later Onigumo, who had fully recovered and fallen in love with Kikyou himself, made a deal with a demon and became Naraku then attempted to steal the shikon. Kaede told Kagome and Shippo –and Miroku and Sango since they were hovering within hearing distance- that this was when she lost her eye.

Tired of fighting off then endless procession of demons, Kikyou suggested to Inuyasha that he use the Shikon to wish to be human, as such a sefless wish would use up its power.

Kagome feels Kikyou's suggestion was entirely selfish. Asking a person in love with you to change themselves is _not_ a sign that you truly love them as they are.

**Distrust **

The rest of the tale Kaede only pieced together after the events had passed: Naraku impersonated Inuyasha and stole the jewel from Kikyou, wounding her, then –wearing the shikon– attacked Inuyasha disguised as Kikyou, which tainted the gem. Naraku then put the shikon back in Kikyou's home and watched as Inuyasha stole the jewel and was sealed in the Tree of Ages by Kikyou's arrow.

Inutaisho thinks that the story proves that the tragic duo did not truly love one another. The lack of trust and forgiveness between the two is evidence enough to the Dog General's mind of the shallowness of their relationship. That the miko wanted to change Inuyasha –making him weaker so he is socially acceptable– is just the final nail in the coffin. A more selfless wish would have been for Kikyou to desire the hanyou to become a true demon: truly unselfish as she did not want it to occur.

**Relent**

Kagome hopes Inuyasha will get over Kikyou before the undead miko resurfaces, but she is not overly optimistic. The hanyou is like a dog with a bone about some things and this is one of them.

* * *

><p>The flashback in Episodes 147-148. I honestly don't think Kikyou or Inuyasha had more than a crush on eachother; the thrill of the forbidden and all that jazz.<p> 


	56. Restored

**Restored**

...

**Raids**

Princess Abi and her flock of blood-drinking bird demons prove a difficult opponent for the Inutachi. Flight grants them the ability to easily escape from the group and their complete lack of jewel shards makes tracking them almost impossible. In their travels from one wrecked village to another Kagome hears rumours of a saint, a 'Holy One' gifted with spiritual powers that the survivors of the attacks are looking for.

Recognising that the villagers are probably walking into a trap of some kind Inuyasha hurries the band onwards towards the shrine where this so-called 'Holy One' is supposed to live.

**Strike**

On reaching the shrine the tachi is promptly attacked by Hakudoshi riding on Entei and Kagura wielding her fans while princess Abi and her bird youkai swarm the building, feasting on the locals. Hakudoshi taunts Inuyasha from behind a barrier even Red Tessaiga cannot break, the sword-spirit's blood-coloured cleaver slashing at the pale child to no effect. The young-looking detachment is about to attack when an arrow from a hooded figure near the trees shatters the pale child's defence.

Seizing the unexpected opportunity the hanyou attacks again, cutting Hakudoshi to pieces. The detachment however does not die despite the lethal wounds and Kagura swoops in to snatch up the dismembered pieces then flees with them. Entei stays behind to avenge his rider but is destroyed when Inuyasha uses his Backlash Wave on the demon horse, proving Kagome's theory that, however resistant, some attacks were just too powerful for the fire youkai to throw off.

**Search**

Careful examination of the arrow that broke Hakudoshi's barrier leads Kagome to believe Kikyou is the saint the villagers speak of, even though Inuyasha insists that the projectile does not carry the undead miko's scent. The hanyou decides nonetheless to meet this saint person for himself, so the band of shard hunters chases after the Holy One, who has slain the bird demons to protect the villagers and is hunting down princess Abi.

The trail leads them to the Forbidden Mountain.

**Distraction**

On reaching the mountain Kagome sees a great many lesser demons who are also looking for the mysterious saint. Inuyasha decides that the best course of action is for him to stay behind and fight off the youkai so the rest of the group can run on ahead and find the Holy One.

Kagome doesn't mind too much; she is confident in her growing abilities and recognises that Inuyasha is not even slightly threatened by the mindless horde attaching him. Even without Tessaiga the hanyou is stronger than his current opponents.

Further up the path Kagome spots another group of demons. Sango and Miroku promptly wade into the fight while Shippo sits tight on Kirara and provides distractions and backup; it is almost ten months since the tachi first formed and they fight together like an experienced unit now.

The miko does not join the fray: she has spotted two very familiar soul collectors. Seeing that her friends do not really need her help right now Kagome slips away, Inutaisho at her side, in search of Kikyou.

**Cleansing **

Kagome finds the undead miko in a pool beneath a waterfall, guarded by two shikigami. The duo, who look like well-dressed nine-year-olds, explain that both they and the 'Holy One' are Kikyou's servants, charged with her protection. They also tell the temporally displaced miko that Kikyou is slowly being poisoned by Naraku's miasma from the attack at Mt Hakurei and only Kagome can heal the damage.

Dokuseiga looks sceptical and Inutaisho appears lost in thought, but Kagome heeds her miko instincts and jumps into the water without a second thought.

Purifying Kikyou is surprisingly easy, but Kagome senses that the undead miko does not have much time left before her damaged shell can no longer keep her soul from the afterlife, even with a chunk of Kagome's own soul restraining her. With this in mind the time-travelling miko surreptitiously infuses Kikyou's clay body with a time barrier, slowing its decay and reducing the undead miko's need to consume pure souls in order to retain her power.

**Changes**

Kagome is pulled out of the water by the two shikigami, who also retrieve the now awake Kikyou. The clay miko gives the living one an unreadable look before gliding off, her two helpers at her heels and the Soul Collectors ranging ahead of her.

Inuyasha arrives on the scene a short while later and Kagome tells him what happened, suggesting he go looking for Kikyou since she isn't far away. The hanyou gives the miko an odd look before shaking his head.

"You're wet, tired and need feeding," her puppy-eared friend says flatly, "my father would have my head if I didn't take care of you and who knows what my bastard brother would do. You're pack, Kagome. Kikyou isn't and pack comes first."

The miko isn't sure what to say to that, so says nothing at all.

* * *

><p>Could it possibly be that Inuyasha is growing a brain? Will wonders never cease? Oh, and Kagome gets to use her more interesting abilities again, this time on Kikyou.<p> 


	57. Epiphany

Fun fact of the day: in Japan the age of consent, ie age you can agree you want to have sex at, is thirteen. Some prefectures have local legislation forbidding those over eighteen from having sex with under-eighteens, but not all of them. Puts a whole new spin on things, doesn't it?

**Epiphany**

…

**Notice**

After finding out that his father is indeed courting Kagome despite being over two centuries dead, Inuyasha slowly notices all the little signs of the ghost's presence. There is the way Kagome's eyes focus on things no-one else can see, for example, and the way her hair ripples and shifts even when there is no wind.

The way she is always listening to something no-one else can hear, her entire being responding to a hidden conversation, and the way she is followed around by faint, foot-shaped imprints in the grass and dust.

The faint strands of youki that trail through her aura without being automatically purified and the way those threads caress her body when she is nervous or upset.

**Understanding**

Inuyasha slowly comes to realise that, although he cares for Kikyou, he does not love her. The depth and power of the emotions that roil around Kagome in the evenings when they stop for the night and everyone is relaxing prove his own declarations of passion were shallow and false. His and Kikyou's love was a childish crush, a passing infatuation.

It hurts to realise that they've thrown their lives away over nothing, but at least he is still alive; Kikyou died for her mistakes.

**Pride**

The hanyou realises now that he has a crush on Kagome as well, a crush that could have blossomed into love had he not been so obsessed with Kikyou. The blind need to prove to himself that he would be faithful to Kikyou 'no matter what' led him to utterly destroy his chances with Kagome. Kagome who loved him for who he was and always had; his own idiocy meant he would never be more than just a friend to her.

Or, more likely, a son. As weird as that seemed, Inuyasha rather liked the idea of having Kagome as a mother. Kagome made a great mum: just look at Shippo.

**Trust**

Several battles with princess Abi and a fortress infiltrated and massacred by Naraku later, Inuyasha is face to face with his undead lost love yet again. The conversation is neither emotional or loving; they talk about the quest and the last jewel shard. Kikyou warns the hanyou to keep Kagome out of the borderlands, as Naraku wants the younger miko for her ability to detect the jewel shards.

Inuyasha does not intend to do anything of the sort, but doesn't say it. He wants his father back and -since the Dog General's bones are in the netherworld- taking Kagome to the graveyard is the best way to make it happen. Besides, the blue-eyed miko can take care of herself pretty well now, what with that temperamental sword of hers.

**Independence**

Kikyou wants to fight Naraku by herself for some dumb reason; pride and training most likely. Inuyasha tries to dissuade her since she's only just recovering from her injuries but it is useless. She never listens to him anyway. On days like this the hanyou can't understand how he ever believed Kagome was Kikyou's reincarnation: the two women are nothing alike.

The undead miko gives Inuyasha a special arrow for Kagome, rubbed in the dirt from Onigumo's cave, then leaves. The hanyou does not return to camp for some time afterwards, wondering how his life ever got this messed up.

* * *

><p>Because Inuyasha does indeed have a brain. He just doesn't use it much. Despite being over 200 he's still a big kid inside.<p> 


	58. Beyond

**Beyond**

…

**Onward**

The Inutachi track down princess Abi's nest just in time to see Naraku kill both her and her mother, thereby opening a way to the borderlands. The entire group, heedless of Myoga's warnings, chase after the evil hanyou into the darkness between the realms. Kagome immediately senses that Inutaisho is much stronger here than in the living world: his hand on her shoulder is suddenly denser, his ghostly presence filling out and drawing in more power.

**Uncertainty**

On their arrival in the demon graveyard Inuyasha stops dead and stares at Kagome in amazement.

"Hey! I can see him!"

The miko blinks, then turns to look at Inutaisho. The Dog General shrugs. "This place is for those who are neither dead nor truly live," he rumbles, deliciously deep voice sending shivers down Kagome's spine, "such as I am now." The daiyoukai gently strokes clawed fingers along the side of her jaw, touch so much more _solid_ than she has previously experienced.

"So, you're real here then?" the hanyou asks.

"Mostly," Inutaisho concedes, eyes never leaving Kagome's own as his fingers dance over her parted lips, "although assimilating my bones would help in that regard."

Kagome carefully points out that the Dog General's bones are in the same direction as where she can sense the shikon shard, attention captured by the way Inutaisho is breathing heavily through his nose as his pupils dilate. He is visibly memorizing her scent, yet showing symptoms usually associated with some form of chemical intoxication. The miko really hopes he can stay in control of himself; while she _is_ in love with him, this is hardly a safe time for him to let loose his beast.

Besides, she'd rather like her first time to be special.

**Attacked**

As they approach the massive skeleton Inutaisho deliberately veers away from Kagome after pulling her close for a brain-scrambling kiss, heading for the nearest leg. Inuyasha ignores his father's behaviour, making tracks for the ribcage where Kagome can sense the presence of the jewel shard. However as they draw closer the tachi is attacked by spears made of a material Myoga identifies as adamant.

The projectiles were thrown by the deceased Hosenki, who is in possession of the last jewel shard and has been corrupted by it. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, Tessaiga is not strong enough to break through the adamant that protects the zombified youkai's body.

**Stumble**

Kagome tries to purify the shard in the dead demon's body with one of her arrows, but the projectile's effect is negligible. Inuyasha manages to hit the same spot the arrow did with a Wind Scar, which breaks off a little of the adamant, but not enough to really make a difference. Unfortunately the hanyou loses his balance as the skeleton shifts around then and falls out of the ribcage, prompting Kagome to abandon the fight to make sure her dog-eared friend is alright.

The temporally displaced miko wonders as she heads for the ground where Inutaisho is and what on earth he is doing; his being solid means the daiyoukai would be a massive help in the fight. However, since he has completely disappeared from her senses -other than the faint buzz permeating the skeleton around her- she will just have to make do.

**Last**

Naraku's arrival is not unexpected and the barrier protecting him is still too strong for Kagome's arrows to penetrate. Hosenki's adamant attacks are however extremely effective in passing through, even if the evil hanyou just shrugs them off.

Inuyasha rejoins the fight and tries to prevent Naraku from absorbing the last jewel shard, but not even Red Tessaiga can get through. The blade's spirit is hopping mad at that revelation, dreadlocks swirling wildly as he tries attack after attack with all three of its blades until Hosenki knocks Inuyasha aside, forcing the hanyou to protect himself rather than continue the assault.

Naraku immediately claims the last shard and is gloating villainously when someone completely unexpected joins the fray, punching the evil hanyou in the face.

* * *

><p>So, enter the netherworld and Inutaisho lives! No, he's not really back yet but he's getting there. Oh, and cliffhanger, of course. My computer has been resurrected, by the way, so updates should be more frequent for a while. Not long until the Final Act now...<p> 


	59. Passage

I have decided -generously- not to make all of you wait until tomorrow for this chapter. Enjoy.

**Passage**

…

**Late**

Sesshoumaru has been seeking a way into the netherworld for some time now. He is not interested in the shikon shard that is supposedly located there; the jewel is a mere bauble, a crutch for the weak. He has no need of such petty things. However, due to the rumours of Naraku knowing how to reach the borderlands the daiyoukai has been tracking Kohaku and Kanna for some weeks, Rin and Jaken following behind him with Ah-Un.

His little pack reaches the site of the bird queen's death, where the lack of blood informs Sesshoumaru that all is not as it seems. Kagura chooses this moment to show herself and mock the daiyoukai for his tardiness; apparently Naraku has already opened and passed through his portal into the borderlands and Kagome's pack followed him through it before it closed.

Sesshoumaru ignores her childish taunts, demanding to know how else one may enter the afterlife alive.

**Pride**

The wind-witch tells him about the gateway to the netherworld in the Realm of Fire, reluctantly agreeing to escort both Sesshoumaru and Jaken there while Ah-Un stays behind to protect Rin. She however refuses point black to approach the gate once they arrive, apparently wary of the stone guardians on either side of the doors.

Sesshoumaru ignores the detachment's cowardice, drawing Tokijin as the guards come to life. He is the Killing Perfection and will not be defeated by mere statuary.

**Power**

Knocking over the statues proves pointless as they simply get up and attack again. The daiyoukai is starting to consider becoming irritated at his lack of progress when one of the guardians speaks, claiming that no earthly blade can defeat them and that his persistence is without purpose.

Tenseiga chooses this instant to offer its assistance, filling Sesshoumaru with new confidence. A blade that resurrects the dead and slays the undead is hardly _earthly_ after all, and the sword's name -Fang of Heaven- suggests it may work.

The guardians stand aside and bow low as soon as he draws the compassionate fang, stating that he may pass unchallenged as wielder of the sword of the netherworld. Truly appreciating for the first time the value of his inheritance Sesshoumaru strides through the gateway into the borderlands.

**Confrontation**

On entering the netherworld Sesshoumaru instantly senses the presence of Naraku and decides to confront the despicable creature directly, landing a solid hit to the hanyou's face. The daiyoukai may not have entered the borderlands with the intent to retrieve the jewel shard but the disgusting halfbreed has nonetheless earned his enmity a hundred times over.

His beast agrees loudly from the back of his mind, bellowing that they must slay the traitor to protect their pack. Sesshoumaru does not automatically squash that thought as is his wont; Naraku is a threat to Rin, Kagome is present on the battlefield and both are his to protect.

Unfortunately Naraku's barrier is solid and even Sesshoumaru is having difficulty breaking through it. The first hit caught the hanyou by surprise but he is paying attention now.

* * *

><p>Yep, more Sesshoumaru. He has the most charming thought-processes, doesn't he? For caving to the pleas of those objecting to the last chapter's cliffhanger I expect extra appreciation in the form of reviews!<p> 


	60. Advances

**Advances**

…

**Patience**

Kagome watches the battle between Naraku and Sesshoumaru in awe, careful to stay well out of the way as the two exchange blows. Inutaisho's continued absence puzzles her, but she can sense something odd emanating from the massive skeleton behind her, something that suggests that the Dog General is doing something unusual to expedite his resurrection and return to full power. Mindful of her own stake in that particular goal the miko pushes a little of her time-power into the youki that clings to her soul, channelling it to her beloved so as to give him more time in which to achieve his goals.

**Armed**

As the battle continues to rage Inuyasha tries to absorb some of Hosenki's powers with Tessaiga, but his efforts prove futile. The sword-spirit seems similarly frustrated by the lack of progress.

Then Naraku's miasma creeps up on Kagome and the dog-eared hanyou abandons the oyster youkai and dashes to protect his friends.

Kagome notices the change first: The blade in Inuyasha's hands now appears to be made of diamond and Tessaiga now has a set of adamant sai tucked into his sword harness.

**Victory**

Inuyasha instantly tries out his new attack on Naraku: the Adamant Barrage smashes through the evil hanyou's protective barrier and severely wounding him. Sesshoumaru follows up the assault with his own attack and dismembers his opponent thoroughly, but Naraku seems unshaken by the damage and immediately begins to reform.

At this moment the arrow Kagome received from Kikyou pulses with power, prompting the temporally displaced miko to fire it at the jewel shard. The little sliver of shikon is instantly and completely purified as Naraku tries to escape, reappearing on a nearby crag where Kohaku and Hakudoshi are watching the fight. The evil hanyou reaches safety unscathed but Hakudoshi is struck by the arrow and nearly killed.

**Bones**

As Naraku retreats hastily from the field with his detachments the Inutachi follow Sesshoumaru as he leads the way back to the gateway to the living world, which the guardians open for him without a fuss. Kagome hesitates on the threshold, wondering where Inutaisho is, as a ground-shaking clatter erupts from behind her. Looking back, the miko is astonished to see a familiar and absolutely _massive_ dog skeleton bouncing towards her, tail wagging like a demented puppy.

Inutyasha's jaw drops as the immense skull gently nuzzles Kagome before the perambulating skeleton shrinks down into human form, revealing Inutaisho in his normal humanoid form. The Dog General smiles at Kagome, holding out to her a thick white pelt as big as she is.

**Gift**

Kagome accepts the fur, wrapping it around her shoulders and tucking one end into her hakama so it won't fall off. It is incredibly soft and very warm, redolent with Inutaisho's youki and mobile in its own right: as she fastens it around her body it flexes slightly, clinging to her curves. Smiling happily at her beloved -whose eyes currently have the faintest hint of red around the irises- the miko steps through the gateway and back into the land of the living.


	61. Inutaisho

**Inutaisho**

…

**Abrupt**

Suddenly having his sense of smell returned is like a blow to the head: Inutaisho can barely keep his footing as he is assaulted by a staggering blizzard of scents. Only once the initial impact has worn off can he stop merely reacting and begin to catalogue what he can smell.

**Intoxication**

Kagome's scent gives him the most difficulty. Not because it is unpleasant or overly complex, but because it is so delicious that the Dog General has to work hard not to pin her to the nearest flat surface and ravish her then and there. His little miko smells like spring rain, new shoots and tangy purity underneath the various fruity scents of the soaps she uses and the combination is simply delectable.

His beast desperately wants to find out if she tastes as marvellous as she smells. That insistent _hunger_ is so consuming Inutaisho can barely manage to restrain himself to just kissing her before forcibly distancing himself and turning his mind to other things.

**Proximity**

Absorbing his bones takes more time and single-minded effort than the Dog General would have liked, even with Kagome feeding him a little of her odd-feeling fast-forward power to speed things up. The effort is well worth it however when he manages to reform the massive skeleton and its youki into his mokomoko, just as it was when he was still alive.

The white pelt is the _living_ manifestation of Inutaisho's power and ability to assume his full-sized demonic form; its regeneration grants him a strong foothold in the living world and makes the daiyoukai feel much more optimistic about his chances.

**Temptation**

More problematically, the mokomoko is an extension of his person: what it feels, he feels, rather like a detachable limb. As his adorable little miko has taken to wearing it wrapped around her waist with one end passing across her chest to dangle off the back of the opposite shoulder, the Dog General is torn between making her take it off and urging her to do more than just pet the blasted thing.

He can _feel_ her body pressing up against him every single minute of the day and all that inadvertent teasing is driving him and his beast mad.

* * *

><p>So many reviewers have asked for Inutaisho's point of view that my muse started to wonder for herself how his trip to the netherworld would have been like.<p> 


	62. Kohaku

**Kohaku**

…

**Loss**

Kohaku hates Naraku. Hates the hanyou for using him against his sister, for forcing him to kill. For repeatedly suppressing his memories so the young demon slayer forgets who he is for months at a time.

Kohaku no longer admits to remembering his former life and takes care never to hint that he recognises Sango. The boy never wants to lose those memories again.

**Suspicions**

Kohaku suspects that killing Akago would weaken or maybe even kill Naraku but has no way of testing his theory. He is the evil half-breed's slave, both in body and in mind, so obedience is his only option. At least, for now it is: A successful rebellion must be carefully timed.

Babysitting Hakudoshi is even more unpleasant a duty than dealing with the infant incarnation, but at least the pale child lets Kohaku get out in the fresh air and grants him a bit of independence.

**Alliance**

Kohaku like Kagura. She takes care of him a bit like Sango did back when he was alive. The wind-witch also longs for freedom, and in exchange for his assistance in pursuing that goal helps the male demon slayer hide his returning memories from their so-called master.

**Plot**

Hakudoshi's plan to draw out Kikyou involves a shrine belonging to a rat youkai that Kohaku is ordered to slay. As thousands of indestructible little rodents swarm out of the shrine, the young demon slayer is left on guard while the child-shaped detachment goes hunting for Kikyou.

**Run**

Rather than fight Sango Kohaku hoists the shrine onto his back and flees with it; his orders are to protect the shrine, not attack his sister or her friends. He ignores her cries and pleas with ruthless determination, not wanting to let on that his memories have returned.

Naraku would only steal them away again.

**Denial**

Inuyasha eventually destroys the shrine and Kohaku escapes again, returning to Hakudoshi. The little detachment wants to know why the elder tajina saved Kohaku's life, but the resurrected demon slayer feigns ignorance, stating that he doesn't know the woman.

Denying Sango hurts inside, but his memories of his sister are all that keep him sane now. Kohaku knows that she will eventually kill him if she cannot free him and death would be freedom enough for him, provided it could be guaranteed to be undisturbed.

* * *

><p>Because Kohaku matters as well. Poor kid is stuck between a rock and a hard place.<p> 


	63. Passion

This chapter contains a lemon, so the story rating has gone up as I'm not sure what qualifies for 'mild sexual content'.

EDIT: I've been told I can get away with T as this is a lime, not a lemon. Thanks to those of you who wrote in!

**Passion**

...

**Concerns**

Kagome suspects that this trip through the well will be the last one she will make before Naraku's defeat; there are no more jewel shards to find. She gets home in time for dinner and goes to bed early, snuggling up with the white pelt Inutaisho gave her as she drifts off to sleep.

**Provocation**

The miko is woken up in the middle of the night by a rumbling growl in the back of her mind and a nameless, formless hunger. Kagome opens her eyes to a red-eyed ghost that almost shines in the moonlight, who stares down at her in open lust. Then she realises that the fuzzy white pelt is wrapped around her chest _inside_ her pyjamas and belatedly remembers the Dog General's lessons on mokomoko.

The pelts are an extension of a daiyoukai's person and youki; kind of like an extra limb. Oops.

Kagome doesn't even have enough time to squeak before Inutaisho pounces on her.

**Lust**

As the ghostly daiyoukai comes into contact with the white fur the mokomoko expands and twists, the two merging in a rush of tingling power. Kagome blinks as the rush fades, then blushes crimson as she takes in the fully solid and completely nude form of the Dog General looming over her, pelt nowhere in sight. Then Inutaisho casts some kind of barrier around the bed, rips off her pyjama top and crushes her into the mattress, ravishing her mouth with a hot, devouring kiss.

Kagome's brain melts completely and her flimsy objections fly away as large, strong hands caress her breasts and slide down her spine. She may not have planned this, but she doesn't want it to stop.

**Heat**

The next few hours pass in a blur for Kagome, lost in new and addicting sensations as her lover explores every last inch of her with hands and tongue, driving her body over the edge again and again before finally losing his own control and taking her virginity in a final, dizzying climax. The possessive growl in her ear as Inutaisho wraps himself around her, burying his face in her hair, is the last thing she hears before her overloaded senses give out and she is swallowed by sleep, body lax and humming with pleasure.

**Decisions**

In the morning Kagome wakes slowly, her body sticky and slightly sore. The mokomoko lies innocently on top of her covers and Inutaisho is sat on the floor beside her bed, fully dressed and ghostly once more. He looks a little nervous, but is not afraid to meet her eyes. Kagome is a little nervous too. She knows she started this, knowingly or not.

"I'm sorry for teasing you like that; it was wrong of me," the miko says quietly. "But I'm not sorry for what we did together. No regrets. You are courting me and I love you."

The smile she gets back is brilliant; the Dog General murmurs a relieved "I love you too" in the back of her mind and kisses her as thoroughly as he can in his incorporeal state before letting her go and bathe. The barrier may have kept the sound of the encounter from her family but there is still evidence that Kagome would rather not have to explain.

As she fills the bath the miko realises that Inutaisho can temporarily assume living form using the mokomoko as a conduit. This is good news, although the lack of clothing is a rather serious problem.

* * *

><p>Tormenting a daiyoukai has rather serious consequences, as Kagome finds out.<p> 


	64. Permanence

**Permanence**

…

**State**

A little careful experimentation in the bathroom confirms that losing her virginity to a mostly dead daiyoukai has not affected her holy powers in the slightest. Kagome is not exactly surprised -if anything could have short-circuited her abilities it would have been the youki buffering her damaged soul- but it does raise some intriguing questions on the true nature of purity. The fact that her own powers are not quite like other mikos' is also worth considering; every other priestess she's met has blue powers, but her own are pink. Of course it could just be the shikon's influence but Kagome doesn't think it is that easy. That is only one of the slew of little differences that have started to make her wonder if she is really a miko at all.

Youkai and humans are not the only beings to walk the earth in her grandfather's stories, and some of those beings were perfectly capable of masquerading as holy men and women.

It also makes her wonder if there was more to her father than her mother and her own memories suggest. All the signs are pointing to Kagome being slightly more than human, which may well be an inherited trait. If it is, it will eventually affect Souta as well.

**Coping**

Having Inuyasha accidentally trash her new bike when she's barely finished cleaning it up because he had a total freak-out moment about the change in her scent is really irritating, but doesn't really register since Kagome is currently wrestling with fairly profound identity issues. Not to mention her foray into pre-marital sex with a demon almost two thousand years older than the Japanese state. The hanyou's attempts to fix her damaged bicycle when he doesn't even know how it works is almost comedic, or would be if he wasn't twisting it beyond repair.

Kagome finally gives up on the bike altogether and leaves for school on foot, warning Inuyasha as she leaves that she has told her friends that Inutaisho is the hanyou's oldest brother rather than his father and that she and the Dog General are dating. The time-travelling miko then makes herself scarce before the hanyou can lift his jaw off the floor.

**Reactions**

Kagome's friends notice her rather buoyant mood and instantly divine that it has something to do with her boyfriend. On the Dog General's insistence she corrects their assumption: Inutaisho is her fiancé, not just her boyfriend. This naturally sends Eri, Yuri and Ayumi off in a tizzy of girlish glee and the three spend the rest of the day pestering her with questions and squealing in excitement. They want to know _everything_, no matter how personal.

Inutaisho helps her put up with the gossiping trio and is exceptionally patient, even helping Kagome deflect some of the more intrusive questions, but Dokuseiga finds the three girls' behaviour utterly improper. The sword-spirit clearly wants nothing more than to melt the miko's gossipy friends into pools of steaming goo, if the way his hands keep glowing is any indication.

**Prediction**

Kagome's friends follow her home that afternoon, wanting to hear more about her mysterious fiancé. The miko does not protest, letting them into her bedroom -with the newly changed sheets on the bed- before going to make tea. On her way back upstairs with the tray and teapot she hears voices and pauses at the top of the staircase to listen: Inuyasha has joined her friends -probably by jumping in through the open window- and the four are talking about Kagome, Kikyou and Inutaisho.

The hanyou is surprisingly frank; he admits that he made a mistake falling for Kikyou abd failed to notice how special Kagome was until he's lost her to Inutaisho. He also assured the three girls that Kagome was in good hands:

"Yeah, so what if he's way older than she is," the dog-eared boy said gruffly, "he's totally head over heels for Kagome and treats her like a princess. He told me and Sesshoumaru straight out that he was going to marry her and we could like it or lump it. There's a load of stuff that has to happen before they can marry but I know that as soon as the situation's fixed he's gonna drag her to the nearest priest and get hitched. He's that serious about her."

That Inutaisho is nodding firmly at his younger son's description of their situation makes Kagome blush in embarrassed delight.

* * *

><p>Because the after is just as important as the during. Episode 160 goes very differently to canon, but I like my way better; Inuyasha is not good enough for Kagome anyway; too childish and insecure.<p> 


	65. Mistakes

**Mistakes**

…

**Karma**

Kagome just knew that Miroku's constant propositioning of random women would eventually get him into trouble. Well, more trouble. A concerned father greeting the monk as a future son-in-law is fairly mild in the grand scheme of things, but Sango is not in the slightest impressed.

Especially since he doesn't even remember who the girl is.

**Marriage**

That Miroku's supposed bride-to-be is promised to a demon who lives in a nearby lake is not as much of a surprise as it could be; this kind of set-up is depressingly familiar to the Inutachi. Kagome's only consolation is that at least this youkai doesn't seem at all interested in having more than one wife at a time, and is dead-set on which woman he wants to the exclusion of all else.

Rather like Kouga in that regard.

**Upset**

That the girl in question claims to have lost her virginity already -supposedly to Miroku- does not help the group's internal dynamics in the slightest. Inuyasha, Kirara and Shippo are already having trouble adjusting to Kagome's recent change in status without the monk and the demon slayer being at odds with each-other as well.

**Lies**

The lake youkai is most displeased to hear that his chosen bride has been defiled and attacks the village. Inuyasha of course charges right into the fight, leaving Kagome to hang back and protect the young woman who is the cause of all the fuss. She is not overly attentive in her defence of the other girl: Inutaisho tells the temporally-displaced miko that the would-be bride is lying about not being a virgin.

Since regaining his mokomoko the Dog General's sense of smell has been fully restored and deceit has a very distinctive scent; that Inuyasha didn't spot it is something of an embarrassment.

**Apologies**

The demon is eventually defeated by Miroku, who uses his Wind Tunnel to drain the lake it lives in before slaying the youkai. The bashful bride-to-be then admits to lying about not being a virgin in an attempt to avoid marrying the demon and renounces her claim on Miroku. The tachi then leave the village; as for as Inuyasha is concerned the damage is the girl's fault and he has no interest in helping to fix it.

A little further down the road Sango forgives Miroku for his part in the farce, but the monk ruins the moment seconds later when he gropes the demon slayer's bottom.

* * *

><p>A comedic interlude. Special thanks to my reviewers who are not registered on the site who I can't sent messages back to; You guys rock!<p> 


	66. Rin

**Rin**

…

**Joy**

Rin loves Sesshoumaru-sama very much. He looks after her and lets her pick all the flowers she wants to. He also gets cross with Jaken when the kappa mutters about 'filthy humans' and throws rocks at his head or kicks him. Rin always giggles when that happens: Jaken looks so funny when he's dizzy!

**Care**

When Rin first met Sesshoumaru-sama the daiyoukai was injured, so she tried to look after him. Sesshoumaru-sama didn't think he needed looking after, but Rin did her best anyway.

**Safety**

When the wolves attacked the village Rin was terrified and tried to run back to Sesshoumaru-sama, but she wasn't fast enough. Being eaten hurt lots and she screamed until everything went dark and cold. Then suddenly she was warm and safe again and Sesshoumaru-sama was there.

Rin never wants to leave her Sesshoumaru-sama ever again.

**Nurture**

Sesshoumaru-sama protects her from everyone who tries to hurt her and always rescues her when she gets into trouble. He also makes sure she has everything she needs and makes sure that she learns useful things. Rin knows Sesshoumaru-sama accepted Kagome into his pack to be her big sister, which makes her very happy. Kagome knows lots of useful and interesting things and tells really wonderful stories.

**Fear**

Rin knows Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't have wanted her to follow the flute music away from the camp, but she couldn't help it. Her feet almost ran away all by themselves.

The other children that the flute-playing demon has lured away are all stick in a cave. They tell her that they are afraid of the youkai, but Rin knows they are just being silly: Human bandits are much scarier than silly demons who play music.

**Rescue**

When the monks who killed the flute demon try to hurt Sesshoumaru-sama when he comes looking for her Rin is very upset. She escapes from the monk holding her and runs over to him; Sesshoumaru would never hurt her.

* * *

><p>Because everyone needs some Rin in their life. I'm now doing voluntary work twice a week writing articles, so I won't be updating as often. Plus, I'm juggling another story now: a Final Fantasy VII story about Vincent Valentine.<p> 


	67. Twists

**Twists**

…

**Possession**

The parasite demons are completely disgusting. First the mess with the tenko -heavenly fox- that has been corrupted and is harassing a village and has to be rescued by Sango, then Shippo is infected and goes on a prank rampage until Inuyasha finally catches up with him and cuts the horrid thing off.

**Issues**

It turns out that the vast mass of parasites are a result of Naraku stealing a protective stone from a sleeping demon. The recently roused youkai wants his Fuyoheki back so he can go back to sleep and the Inutachi agree to help.

That the demon is exquisitely polite to Kagome throughout and addresses her as 'Miko-sama' makes it very clear to the young woman that her night with Inutaisho has changed her so profoundly that even total strangers are forced to take notice.

**Likeness**

They eventually catch up with Naraku just as the evil hanyou orders Kohaku to kill a trapped Kikyou. After a brief fight the young demon slayer flees after his master, who has already made himself scarce. Kikyou suggests to Inuyasha that Naraku may be trying to hide his heart and the two discuss it quietly for a while.

Kagome on the other hand is being subjected to a long and detailed list of similarities between Kikyou and Inuyasha's late mother Izayoi, right down to the undead miko's base scent under the stench of bones and graveyard earth. The only difference the Dog General can perceive is that Izayoi was never a miko.

**Revealed**

After Kikyou takes her leave the Inutachi set of after Naraku again. A little further down the road Kagome reluctantly voices Inutaisho's belief that Kikyou is in fact Izayoi's reincarnation, making the hanyou stop dead as his ears flatten completely against his skull.

"I am suddenly relieved to have realised I was never really in love with her," Inuyasha said flatly after a truly electric silence, "But I'm not going to stop helping her."

"I never expected you to," Kagome replied simply.

* * *

><p>Eep! Poor Inuyasha. Some things you are happier not knowing.<p> 


	68. Frustration

**Frustration**

…

**Misunderstandings**

The hunt for Naraku is long and tedious. The Inutachi follows rumours of monks killing demons to a temple where a bunch of children try to attack them. After driving them off Kagome and her pack follow the children's trail into the temple, where they meet a monk with a demonic arm. They then find out that the children are the ones the rumours are about, and that they cannot yet tell the difference between neutral or helpful and harmful demons. The monk then offers them shelter for the night as thanks for their forebearance.

**Confusion**

The next day Kagura attacks the temple with a lot of undead demons she has raised and tries to break in; Inuyasha clearly has no idea what the wind-witch was trying to do, since for once she didn't seem to want to kill him. As a result of said confusion he only wounds her and she retreats.

**Tension**

The next day the tachi leaves the temple and traces a strog demonic aura to a nearby cave filled with youkai remains, probably the children's dumping ground. Dokuseiga seems restless, eyes moving ceaselessly over their surroundings while Inutaisho's attention is completely held by Kagome. The miko is aware of his eyes on her and the reason for his intense focus: it is the fertile point of her monthly cycle and her scent is announcing it to those with sufficiently sensitive noses. She takes care to move smoothly and keep her balance, the Dog General's mokomoko loosely draped around her waist.

Getting ravished right now would be embarrassing and dangerous, no matter how pleasant physically.

**Pointlessness**

Inuyasha realises that the temple is under attack from the the small of blood on the wind and leads the party back at a run to help the monks. They are too late however: Hakudoshi has slain Goryomaru, the monk with the demonic arm. Kanna and Akago arrive next and Hakudoshi promptly leaves with them. Kagura lingers a while longer and tells Inuyasha that the infant hold Naraku's heart before she, too, leaves.

* * *

><p>I read somewhere than warfare is ninety percent tedium and ten percent frantic action.<p> 


	69. Infighting

**Infighting**

…

**Changes**

The giant puppet-thing Hakudoshi has created to fight the Inutachi with and protect Naraku's heart is a very tiresome opponent. Due to the stolen Fuyouheki inside it, its youki cannot be sensed and it is practically indestructible. Kagome can tell that Moryomaru ‒as the pale child calls the immense thing‒ does have a soul, one that the miko recognises: it used to be Akago's.

**Rebellion**

Kagura has finally had enough and rebels against Naraku. She attacks Hakudoshi with her fans but the pale child turns her Dance of Dragons attack back on her and only Inuyasha's timely intervention prevents her death.

Hakudoshi then uses Kagura as an impromptu shield against Inuyasha's attacks and is delighted to discover that the dog-eared hanyou is unwilling to risk harm to the wind-witch. The pale child then brags about his own rebellious plot and its superiority to Kagura's, only to abruptly lose his impenetrable shield. This loss makes him vulnerable to Miroku's wind tunnel and he is swiftly defeated.

**Partings**

After Hakudoshi has been driven off Kagome offers the wind-witch sanctuary with the Inutachi ‒partly for Sesshoumaru's sake‒ but Kagura turns down the offer: she still does not have her heart and she must return to Naraku's hideout to retrieve it. The temporally-displaced miko catches Kagura's arm and asks again, but she is brushed aside as the fan-wielding youkai flies away on one of her feathers.

Kagome has not however left the wind-witch's survival to chance: there is a seed of time magic hiding within Kagura's body now, waiting for the right moment to unfurl. It will give Kagura an edge, a little more time in which to escape if things go badly for her.

**Separation**

When the tachi attack Moryomaru again the gigantic youkai is trying to steal Kohaku's jewel shard. Sango rescues the boy, who calls her 'sister' as Moryomaru flees Inuyasha. The younger demon slayer confesses his memories have returned but explains that he is unable to rejoin his sister with things as they are.

* * *

><p>It's been a while but I've finally started on the Final Arc. It is the beginning of the end.<p> 


	70. Blindness

**Blindness**

…

**Weakness**

Kikyou knows she is weakening: her arrows are less powerful and take more out of her than they used to. She is also having to consume more souls to maintain her powers.

**Downfall**

Battling Moryomaru almost makes her faint, forcing her to rest under a tree for the rest of the day. While she is sitting there a pair of monks come across her and mistake her for a demon. When their youkai-repelling sutras do not work against the undead miko the two men flee in panic.

**Isolation**

Kikyou worries. She told Inuyasha that defeating Naraku is her responsibility, something she truly believes, but she is forced to acknowledge that her waning powers make her uncertain if she will be able to fulfil her duty. She cannot fail now; too much has been lost in the pursuit of her goal. The inu-hanyou no longer loves her, she is dead ‒unnatural‒ and her time is long gone. Once Naraku is dead she will finally be able to rest.

**Arrogance**

The undead priestess decides that the only way to strengthen herself is to return to Midoriko's tomb and absorb the lingering power of the priestess who created the Shikon. That power will carry her forward to her goal so she does not have to involve Inuyasha or the time-travelling Miko who is the inept reincarnation of the first and only true Shikon Miko. Resolute, Kikyou rises gingerly to her feet and stumbles off.

* * *

><p>Kikyou tries to fix things on her own, which leads her to make very poor decisions.<p> 


	71. Occurences

**Occurrences**

…

**Chase**

Sesshoumaru has been tracking Naraku's heart for some weeks now, using the crystals given to him by Kagura which track the Fuyoheki. His target is in constant motion, which makes the chase somewhat tedious considering he has to move at a speed low enough for Rin, Jakken and Ah-Un to keep up. They have had to retrace their steps at least a dozen times.

**Curiosity**

Sensing the vicinity of his honoured father's bonded ‒whose energy signature has changed yet again‒ the daiyoukai orders Jakken to set up camp; it has been a while since the little miko's last training session and he needs to ensure she has continued to progress in his absence.

As he approaches the tachi his half-brother belongs to he becomes aware of a number of new and intriguing scents on the wind: the undead miko is in the area and she is both touched by an alien power and very weak. More importantly, his honoured father has found some way to attain physical form and has bedded his bonded. Sesshoumaru is not surprised by this development ‒had the Dog General been among the living when he soul-bonded the bright miko they would have been mated months ago‒ but the daiyoukai is at a loss as to how his parent has achieved it.

Lastly, the alien power which has touched the undead female permeates the very core of the little miko. She is its source; it seems she is more that what she previously appeared to be. No mere priestess could ever be so powerful.

**Improvements**

On greeting the tachi Sesshoumaru is pleasantly surprised to find Inuyasha disinclined to be deliberately and offensively crude. The inu-hanyou does not so much as scowl when the miko greets the Lord of the West with a bow and a smile, instead turning to start a conversation with the houshi.

The daiyoukai states his intent then leads his father's bonded away to a small clearing before attacking her. The miko defends herself capably enough both with her fang and her spiritual powers, showing acceptable improvement. When he presses her she turns her blade into a long-handled whip, the length of which bares considerable similarity to the way he manifests his own highly toxic youki. He had not been aware that Dokuseiga reflected his abilities to such an extent and is pleased by her ingenuity and drive in attempting to master a new kind of weapon.

However the miko is now yet practised enough with the new form of her weapon and he swiftly defeats her. Then, as a reward for her dedication, he sets about teaching her how to properly handle her fang's new form. He has never before considered the feasibility of teaching others his preferred combat form and finds himself rather enjoying it. Of course, few students are as diligent as his father's miko.

**Peculiarities**

The daiyoukai is about to inquire about the changes in his pupil's aura and scent when a power flare catches both their attentions. It feels very like how the little miko's powers were the last time he met her ‒which were still distinctly different from other mikos though not as different as they are now‒ yet somehow older and more slow. Kagome is quick and nimble; this power in deep and slow like that of a tree in winter. Ending the training session for the time being, Sesshoumaru leads his student towards the source of the imbalance: Midoriko's tomb.

They arrive to find the male members of the tachi and Myoga waiting outside the sacred cave, barred from entry by a barrier. Inuyasha immediately approaches the little miko, addressing her respectfully for once when he informs her that Kikyou is within:

"I don't know what she's doing," the hanyou frets, ears flat against his skull, "but I just know it ain't good. She shouldn't be in there."

The miko also seems concerned, her eyes dancing over to where Sesshoumaru suspects his father's spirit to be standing, if the pair of slight depressions in the grass are indicative. The youki in the young female's aura is similarly unsettled, suggesting that his honoured father is also less than pleased with the current state of affairs.

**Unknown**

When the clay miko finally emerges it immediately becomes clear that she has somehow assimilated what remained of Midoriko's powers from within the mummified corpse of the deceased creator of the Shikon. The living miko appears strained and the youki coiling around her is visibly irate.

"Miko, this Sesshoumaru desires that you travel with him for a while so that your training can progress more swiftly," the daiyoukai states, deciding that this is the most expedient course of action. He needs to determine what has occurred with his pupil in his absence and what exactly he has missed. The miko complies instantly, taking up her pack and kissing the kitsune kit on the forehead:

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The daiyoukai knows right then that the coming conversation will likely give him a headache.

* * *

><p>More Sesshoumaru, who notices that things have changed in his absence. Don't you hate it when that happens?<p> 


	72. Postponement

**Postponement**

…

**Separation**

Sesshoumaru does not stop to ask questions once he and Kagome were out of earshot of Inuyasha; instead he leads her to where Rin, Jakken and Ah-Un are, takes her rucksack off her and loads it onto the two-headed dragon. Then he leads them all off in what the miko suspects is a random direction. Inutaisho follows at her side as ever, Dokuseiga trailing a little behind with his eyes on Rin.

The daiyoukai does not stop walking for three hours, at which point they reach a field of flowers near a wood where he orders Jakken to build a fire before stalking off. The miko believes he has gone to hunt down some dinner, which Rin confirms for her.

**Ceremony**

While Sesshoumaru is away Kagome entertains Rin, feeds the little girl savoury snacks and makes tea. Rin is very eager to learn how to properly serve tea, so the temporally displaced miko carefully walks the eight-year-old through the process. She makes to to get a promise out of the little girl that she will not attempt to serve tea unsupervised by either Kagome herself or the Western Lord; the miko does not want her scalding herself by accident with the boiling water.

Rin proves capable after a few mishaps, if still a little sloppy. Kagome reassures the adorable child that she will improve with practice.

**Routine**

Sesshoumaru returns with a young stag, already bled and cleaned. Kagome instantly takes charge of the cooking process and sends Rin to fetch fresh herbs from the nearby meadow. Inutaisho leans over her shoulder savouring the smell of roasting meat while Jakken sits away from the fire and grumbles. Sesshoumaru stands at the edge of the campsite, watching Rin as she picks leaves and a few flowers.

After the meal is over Kagome set up the leftovers to stew or bake slowly until dinner, then senses approaching the seed of power she placed within Kagura. Anxious about the wind-witch's fate, the miko rises to her feet, checks that Rin is alright ‒she is sleeping next to Ah-Un‒ then goes to investigate.

**Assistance**

She finds Kagura kneeling in the field of flowers, her body deeply wounded and riddled with Naraku's poisonous miasma. Sesshoumaru is standing in front of the wind-witch, Tenseiga loosely hanging from his hand and his face almost painfully blank. Kagome sees what's wrong at once: the miasma is dissolving Kagura's body so that there will be nothing left for the Fang of Heaven to resurrect once she is dead.

Determined to help, the miko awakens the time-seed she has hidden within the incarnation, freezing the fan-wielder in place and stopping the decay in its tracks. Then she hurries past Sesshoumaru, hands glowing pink to burn out the infection as the daiyoukai scrutinises her every move.

**Success **

Purifying the miasma without harming the immobile wind youkai is a very delicate process, but Kagome has had stupid amounts of practice at distinguishing between auras. More helpfully, Kagura lacks the clinging stench of evil that pervades Naraku's miasma and indeed the spider hanyou's entire being. She manages to completely eradicate the clinging poison but does not dare to try and heal the gaping wounds left behind in the wind-witch's torso. If Kagura were human it would be possible, but she is not.

At least Sesshoumaru will now be able to resurrect her if she dies from her wounds.

Her work complete, Kagome releases and dissipates the time spell and steps away.

"I've purified every last speck of miasma," she says quickly as both youkai stare at her, one with bland curiosity and the other with open shock. "I don't dare try to fix the damage because I might purify her but the only thing killing her now is blood loss."

The daiyoukai inclines his head fractionally in acknowledgement and Kagura smiles.

"So, I need not simply accept that the only way to freedom lies in death. Thank-you, Kagome." That said, the wind-witch keels over forwards and breaths her last.

Sesshoumaru pauses for a moment, then Tenseiga comes to life in a crackle of green and he swings the blade over the cooling corpse.

* * *

><p>Kagura lives! Three cheers for a more competent Kagome!<p> 


	73. Acknowledgement

**Acknowledgement**

...

**Decision**

After providing his charges with meat and determining that the miko is more than capable of preparing it by herself, Sesshoumaru quietly leaves the camp. The crystals he received from the wind-witch indicate that the greedy hanyou's heart is nearby and the daiyoukai fully intends to find and destroy it. Naraku has long since outlived Sesshoumaru's patience and will die for his insolence.

**Obstacles**

He locates Moryomaru in a cave a few miles away from the campsite and immediately confronts the oversized puppet-creature. To the daiyoukai's disgust however, youki attacks have no effect at all and even Tokijin is not particularly effective.

Moryomaru taunts Sesshoumaru with the news of Kagura's death at Naraku's hands, infuriating the daiyoukai further. The wind-witch may be acting largely in opposition to Sesshoumaru but she does not do so by choice. Moreover she is a cunning, strong and honourable opponent and her virulent dislike of Inuyasha is somewhat entertaining.

The inu-youkai maintains his assault until Tokijin groans under the strain.

**Mockery**

Moryomaru keeps up his verbal assault, boasting that unlike Kagura he will defeat Naraku and gain his freedom. Sesshoumaru ignores the puppet-thing's delusional ramblings –only the hanyou's female incarnations have been free of that irritating trait- and viciously attacks Moryomaru.

Tokijin however proves insufficient and shatters into pieces. An inferior blade in the end, but what else could one expect from a weapon forged from the fang of a mere oni?

**Shift**

The puppet-creature is about to attack again when he is summoned away by Naraku. Left alone on the field of battle Sesshoumaru collects the pieces of his broken blade and heads back towards where he left his little pack.

He is only seconds away when he senses Kagura's approach; it seems she is not as dead as Moryomaru believed. She is however mortally wounded and fading fast.

**Reversals**

Sesshoumaru draws Tenseiga as he approaches Kagura, but swiftly realises that the miasma killing the wind-witch is doing so by destroying her body: soon there will be nothing left for the Fang of Heaven to resurrect.

The miko's intervention is totally unexpected, her success in purging the taint even more so. As Tenseiga crackles into life the daiyoukai determines that he has waited long enough to find out what has changed since he last spoke to the miko his father has claimed. Humans are not supposed to be this powerful.

* * *

><p>I've got over the 'flu now, thank the Lord. Anyway, more Sesshoumaru! Gotta love him!<p>

On a more somber note, who do you think I should kill off? Other than Kikyou of course; she's a given. Pick up to three people -not including the evil incarnations and Naraku- who you want to die. I'm feeling uninspired, so let me know so I can make something happen!


	74. Shocks

**Shocks**

...

**Official**

As soon as they are back at the campsite and the newly-resurrected Kagura has been provided with food, Sesshoumaru fixes Kagome with a pointed stare:

"Well, miko?"

Kagome glances from Inutaicho to the Dog General's living son, who has only one active sword-spirit now: Tokijin is crippled and broken, dragging himself across the ground with pitiful slowness and totally absorbed by his own pain.

"Well, Sesshoumaru-sama, it began with the mokomoko my intended was able to recover from his grave between the worlds," the miko begins tentatively.

"Your intended?" Kagura repeats incredulously.

"My honoured father," the daiyoukai says briskly. "So it is finally official then?"

"Indeed, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"That is good to hear. Please continue."

**Reevaluation**

Kagome explains all that has occurred in the past weeks, touching only lightly on her night with Inutaisho but explaining in depth the reactions and subsequent behaviour of everyone she has met since. She also recounts the Dog General's reaction to Kikyou and Inuyasha's own conclusions.

"The princess was always unworthy," Sesshoumaru says flatly. "It does not surprise me that the weakness within her was inherent to her soul rather than merely acquired." He pauses. "It is fortunate however that my little brother has the spine to rise above his own weaknesses. Perhaps there is less of his mother in him than I believed."

Recognising that this is as close to admitting an error that Sesshoumaru will ever get, Kagome continues her tale.

**Recognition**

Sesshoumaru is intrigued by Kagome's description of her time powers, from the beginning when Kayuga tried to steal them through their rise to greater prominence following the run-in with Hoshiyomi and later considerable growth after her intimacy with Inutaisho.

"This Sesshoumaru has long suspected that you were more than human and now there is proof to support his supposition," the daiyoukai says smugly.

"But I am human, aren't I?" Kagome protests, glancing sideways at her phantom fiancé. "My parents and brother certainly are."

"You were born human, but are no longer: the Shikon is proof of that," Sesshoumaru corrects her. "Humans are certainly not immune to time; that is a quality granted to the greatest of daiyoukai and to kami. You are not youkai, so it is clear you have ascended to the ranks of the lesser kami, Kagome-san. My felicitations."

Kagome is utterly gobsmacked.

**Inarguable**

A long and heated discussion on youkai lore and the nature of divinity later Kagome is forced to acknowledge that yes, it is highly likely that she has become a minor kami, specifically a guardian kami whose domain covers time and change. More irritatingly, Kagura instantly claims the temporally displaced miko as a patron and swears to build a shrine in her honour as thanks for having her life saved.

"Kagome-sama, patron of the oppressed and outcast, kami of change," the wind-witch declares with a wicked smile. "I'm sure you have dozens of devotes already with all the lives you have saved from Naraku and those possessed by tainted jewel shards."

The miko grits her teeth, ignores the mild amusement radiating from Sesshoumaru, Dokuseiga and Tenseiga, blocks out Inutaisho's smug contentment and offers to tell Rin a bedtime story. Kami or not, nothing has changed; she is still Higurashi Kagome and she still had a duty to fulfill.

* * *

><p>A kami is a divinity or spirit; a being with otherworldly or more-than-human abilities. Not a god in the western sense of the world, more a being tied to a specific location, concept or family. They are the other side of the coin from Youkai and similarly diverse.<p>

The cat is out of the bag now...


	75. Waiting

**Waiting**

...

**Secrecy**

Sesshoumaru sends Kagura to the Western Palace on Ah-Un, stating that in order for her to remain free Naraku must be kept ignorant of her survival for as long as possible, which means that she must stay somewhere Kanna's mirror cannot see. The heavy protective wards surrounding the Palace of the West ensure that the family fortress and grounds of the inu-daiyoukai clan is one such place. Naraku doesn't even know it exists, let alone where it is.

Kagura grumbles but does not actually protest. Kagome suspects the wind-witch is hatching plans of her own now that she is finally free of the evil hanyou's machinations.

**Acceptance**

Three days after dispatching Kagura Sesshoumaru escorts Kagome back to the bone-eater's well: the miko-kami has exams to take back in the future.

The daiyoukai surprises his soon-to-be stepmother by gently placing his hand on her shoulder and kissing her cheek before pushing her over the edge. As she falls through time Inutaisho tells her that among inu-youkai kisses are reserved for children and close pack-members, specifically siblings, spouses, parents and one's own grown pups.

Kagome is greatly encouraged by this firm evidence of Sesshoumaru's acceptance and approval of her as his father's mate.

**Distraction**

Studying for her exams is stressful for Kagome. It is hard to keep her mind on something as seemingly trivial as education when the rest of her adopted family is preparing for the final phase of a long war taking place almost five hundred years in the past.

Having an amorous daiyoukai spirit snuggling up against her whenever they are in private, trying to get her to 'relax', doesn't help much either.

Though Inutaisho is very good at getting her to forget her worries for hours at a time.

**Confession**

Her tests completed, Kagome heads back to the feudal era as soon as she has her supplies in order. Before she leaves however she tells her mother in private of her engagement. She does not mention that said fiancé is the great Dog General of legend or that he is both present for the discussion and incorporeal; her mother has enough trouble accepting that Kagome is in love with someone who not Inuyasha and worse, a full-blooded youkai the woman has never met, without adding further complications.

She does promise however to introduce him to the family, preferably before the wedding. If it is at all possible.

* * *

><p>It's been a while, but the story continues!<p> 


	76. Steps

Wow, over 200,000 hits! I'm amazed how popular this story is!**  
><strong>

**Steps**

...

**Reflection**

Sesshoumaru does not travel far from the Bone-eater's well to think about what he has recently witnessed. That the strange female his father has attached himself to is both a young kami and –even more surprisingly– from the future presents an unmatched advantage for the House of the West, one which could secure their dominance among the four Great Families well into the next millennium. He is pondering the possibilities when the smith Totosai approaches him on his flying ox, stating that the time has come to reforge Tenseiga as a weapon.

**Rewards**

It turns out that his ever-interfering sire had left the smith strict instructions before he died, instructions that would only be carried out should the chilly daiyoukai learn compassion. The Lord of the West is inclined to be irritated by the patronising condescension of his parent even form beyond the grave, save that he is interested in what exactly his father had had in mind. For the heirloom blade to actually be useful in battle against living beings is not an advantage he is willing to forgo merely out of bruised pride, especially now that Tokijin is broken.

Of course, since it broke while he was fighting one of the evil hanyou's incarnations Sesshoumaru has no intention of getting the oni-fang blade fixed; it is too weak to be worth his while. Besides, its presence disconcerts the little kami. It would be disrespectful of him to keep it around.

**Completion**

Once finished Tenseiga looks no different to how it did before but feels very different indeed. While before it was gentle and quiet now it has about it the silent stillness of anticipation and an implacable sense of purpose. It feels truly right in his hand now; complete.

Previously Tenseiga had frustrated him for no reason he could properly explain; he had shrugged it off as anger that he had been left the blade that was useless in combat rather than the more aggressive Tessaiga. Sesshoumaru now realises that his irritation stemmed from the blade's incomplete nature, which he had on some level been aware of.

**Function**

Once the blade is finished Sesshoumaru hunt down an oni to test his new attack on. A curving slash creates a crescent-shaped void, which his moronic opponent falls into and vanished completely from his senses; Tenseiga's power opened a direct portal to Hell and transported the oni there.

Totosai calls the attack Meidou Zangetsuha, which is apt enough. Sesshoumaru however is still unsatisfied with the crescent-shaped portal and resolves to practice more; the attack should be fully circular.

* * *

><p>Tenseiga is reforged. Plus, we get more of Sesshoumaru's thought processes, which is always fun to write.<p> 


	77. Attempts

**Attempts**

...

**Progress**

Shortly after Kagome's return to the feudal era Inuyasha wins yet another fight and gains a new attack for Tessaiga. The attack absorbs youki from the opponent –at least in theory– and covers the half of the blade furthest from the cutting edge with green, dragon-like scales. Inuyasha is absolutely delighted with the possibilities this attack offers against strong adversaries but is very poor at actually getting it to work.

**Symbolism**

Tessaiga is also very pleased with the new blade threaded through his harness alongside the original katana, the serrated wakizashi, the oversized red knife and the set of adamant sai. The new sword is a green scaled, unusually short and thin-bladed katana with an almost ridiculously hide hilt. However when Inuyasha uses the dragon-scale attack the spirit-blade swells in size, growing wider. Sadly once the blade reached the full width of the hilt the attack can go no further and generally backfires, blasting Inuyasha across the field. The unfortunate hanyou is not at all proficient at absorbing the filtered youki from the blade into himself, which seriously limits the attack's power.

**Subtlety**

Inutaisho is utterly delighted by the new attack for altogether different reasons and explains in great detail to Kagome exactly how it works and why. His interest is due to the fact that, as Tessaiga is one of _his_ fangs, he now can siphon off a consistent portion of the youki the blade absorbs from its foes. This extra energy will be stored in his mokomoko, hastening the arrival of his eventual resurrection.

The Dog General's surreptitious theft actually makes it slightly less difficult for Inuyasha to master the attack, not that the hanyou notices. He is having a hard enough time as it is.

**Practice**

While the puppy-eared half-demon spends the next few days attempting to master the new weapon in his arsenal and damaging himself further every time, Kagome makes the most of the break in travelling to train with Dokuseiga's whip-form. Sango helps; her boomerang is made of demon bone so it does not dissolve on contact with the young miko-kami's weapon.

That Dokuseiga responds entirely to intent helps keep the sparring safe, as Kagome has no intention of harming her friend. Sango still dodges though; the weapon has a mind of its own and dislikes the tajina only slightly less than it does the perverted monk. Inuyasha, of course, is exponentially more loathed.

* * *

><p>The plot must go on! This is the last attack that Inuyasha steals from other demons and the one he has the most trouble with.<p> 


	78. Continuation

**Continuation**

...

**Rest**

Inuyasha fails so utterly to master his new attack that Totosai sends him to train with a demon hermit. In the hanyou's absence Kagome spends more time with Inutaisho, time in which she notices that her daiyoukai fiancé has gained considerable spiritual density in the time since their first mating. The Dog General is hopeful that he may very soon be able to resurrect himself.

Kagome if deeply relieved by the news and the two celebrate privately at a safe distance from the campsite.

**Chase**

Inuyasha eventually returns having mastered the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga attack and the tachi sets off once more in pursuit of Naraku. They find the evil half-demon absorbing a tree youkai, but Naraku flees instead of attacking them. The tachi instantly gives chase, determined not to lose their enemy this time. Inuyasha soon draws ahead of the others due to his superior speed.

**Conquest**

When Kagome and the others eventually catch up, Naraku is embroiled in a fight with Moryomaru while Inuyasha, Kikyou and Kohaku hide off to one side. The incarnation manages to devour his creator and is proclaiming his victory when the scheming villain strikes back, absorbing Moryomaru from the inside out.

Having reclaimed his heart, Naraku turns on the Inu-tachi.

**Schemes**

Kagome wishes very much that Kikyou were not present; the undead miko is trying to use the shikon shard animating Kohaku to trap Naraku, a plan which the young kami disapproves of on principle.

For one, it is very unlikely to work considering the small size of the shard and the clay priestess' reduced reserves. For another, it would be incredibly painful for the undead demon slayer. Kagome feels Sango's brother has suffered enough already.

**Peril**

As the fight continues Miroku uses his wind tunnel to defend Kohaku despite the risk of poisoning from absorbing Naraku's miasma. The Monk almost kills himself but manages to suck the Fuyoheki –the jewel Moryomaru was using to conceal his youki– from the evil hanyou's body before keeling over.

Kagome rushes to her perverted comrade's side at once and starts healing him. Kikyou merely looks on blankly before turning to warn Inuyasha that Miroku will die if he continues to use the wind tunnel to such an extent.

* * *

><p>And the story continues. Moryomaru is dead and the Fuyoheki is removed from play. Good riddance to both I say.<p> 


	79. Entrapment

**Entrapment**

...

**Snare**

Naraku does not give the Inu-tachi much of a chance to regroup: just after Kagome finishes healing Miroku and they arrive at a nearby village they discover the surrounding area is completely full of spider-webs. Inuyasha hears from the villagers that Kikyou, her shikigami and Kohaku had passed through and, concerned that his mother's reincarnation may have become ensnared, hurries away on the trail of the clay miko.

**Awareness**

Kagome leads the rest of the group and the newly arrived Koga after her impulsive hanyou friend, occasionally using Dokuseiga to slice through the webs trailing across the path.

It seems her scent is at last sufficiently changed that not even the wolf prince cannot ignore that she is attached to another. Koga stares at her longingly with wide eyes and mopes miserably, but does not approach her. The young kami is grateful for the change and ignores his sulking; it is his own fault for not paying attention sooner. She had been 'taken' since before he first met her, for goodness sake!

**Sprung**

The reduced tachi reach a temple. Kagome can tell that Kikyou is both inside and injured, which suggests that Inuyasha is also inside. The temporally-displaced miko decides to enter the building as well, though it goes against her better judgement.

Inutaisho is wary, glancing around constantly and wrinkling his nose. Dokuseiga has a look of utter disdain on his face, like something smells bad. All things considered, she is not too surprised when the door jams shut behind her.

Kagome knows this must be Naraku's latest trap; the evil hanyou is not particularly imaginative for all his cruelty. Were Inuyasha and Kikyou not inside she would just cut her way through the sealed door and leave.

**Unspoken**

Once Kagome finds Kikyou she notices that the power the clay miko has stolen from Midoriko's tomb has bonded with the shard of the young kami's own soul that is keeping the undead woman from moving on. That is somewhat strange. The power is also leaking out of Kikyou's wounds and seeping into Kagome, which weakens the undead miko further.

The odd look on her ghostly fiancé's face suggests there's more to this than the obvious and she makes a note to ask him about it once the current crisis is over.

**Request**

Kikyou insists that only Kagome can save her, and that to do so the younger woman must fetch a special bow from Mount Azuza. Kagome does not think it is a good idea to further delay Kikyou's passage into the afterlife, but whan Inuyasha mouths a 'please' at her she complies gracefully.

She does care for the hanyou as an older sister and it is a small enough request.

* * *

><p>It's been a while, but here's the next installment! Kikyou's days are numbered...<p> 


	80. Shard

****For chalkbutterfly, 600th reviewer!

**Shard**

...

**Chase**

Kohaku runs for his life. Kikyou had left her shikigami with him as protection but they had both been destroyed by Naraku's newest incarnation, Byakuya, who had set them on fire. The undead demon slayer has no intention of getting caught: if he was then Byakuya would take away his shikon shard.

Kohaku does not want to die again.

**Rescue**

When Byakuya corners him Kohaku thinks he is done for, especially when the incarnation sets giant snakes on him. Sesshoumaru's arrival was completely unexpected.

On seeing the daiyoukai Byakuya fled for his life. Kohaku is permitted to join Rin in the Lord of the West's entourage, noticing as he does so that Sesshoumaru only has one sword now.

**Loss**

As the day slides into evening the undead boy feels strange, the peculiar feeing centred in the pure jewel shard embedded in his back.

Could Kikyou be dying?

* * *

><p>Kohaku again. He's fairly crucial to the plot at this point.<p> 


	81. Trials

**Trials**

...

**Insecurities**

Kagome decides very quickly that she does not like Mount Azusa at all. It keeps trying to make her lose control by poking at her emotions and prying open the wounds on her heart. Being shown a living Inutaisho leaving her for Kikyou is utterly devastating, as is being informed by a Sesshoumaru look-alike that she is too weak to be a real kami.

**Certainties**

The young miko denounces the apparitions in the mist as phantoms, manifestations of her own fears. Inutaisho is too honourable to ever abandon her after committing himself as her fiancé and even if he did, Sesshoumaru would not abandon her, if only to spite his parent. The daiyoukai sees her as pack and the only way to escape the stubborn Inu Lord would be to die.

And even then, he would likely resurrect her.

Then the mist clears and she is falling over a cliff edge, the bow she was searching for in her hand.

**Rescue**

As she falls Inutaisho's ghost reappears at her side. The incorporeal Dog General lunges at her, merging with his mokomoko and materialising into an immense white hound even larger than Sesshoumaru. Kagome clings to his fur as the Dog Demon bounces off the sheer cliff and lands lightly on the ground.

As Kagome looks around for her friends, she sees new spider-webs and groans aloud. The tachi has been abducted by Naraku; even Inuyasha, who still teases her sometimes about being a damsel in distress.

**Promise**

As they hurry to the rescue Kagome tells Inutaisho about her visions and the deep-seated insecurities they unearthed. Her fiancé listens, then reassures her:

_You are my soul-mate Kagome; my one and only. I will never, ever abandon you for anyone or anything. I have been seeking you for millennia and am not about to let you get away now that I have you at last._

**Confidence **

Just before they reach Naraku Inutaisho returns to spirit form, not wanting to reveal his presence to the evil hanyou.

Kagome understands, taking up the bow and dashing onward towards the fight she can hear. If she really needs his help the Dog General will not hesitate to jump in, but he also recognises that she is strong enough to take care of herself.

* * *

><p>Kagome gets the bow and hurries to the rescue. I'm about a third of the way through 'Final Act' now.<p> 


	82. Death

**Death**

...

**Struggle**

Kagome arrives on the scene to find the fight well under way: Naraku's body is eating Koga while his upper half is trying to kill Kikyou. Inuyasha is trying to protect his mother's reincarnation while Miroku is using his wind tunnel –a risky enterprise considering his recent wounds– to rescue the wolf prince.

**Arrow**

The young kami senses that the Shikon is currently within Kikyou's body and does not hesitate when she hears the undead miko's voice in her mind urging her to shoot.

The arrow flies true and the purified and almost complete jewel is propelled into Naraku.

**Defeat**

There is a bright, shining moment when it seems that the tama will purify the evil hanyou, but the brilliant pink sphere dulls to poison purple and Naraku reabsorbs it, stealing the shards from Koga's legs almost as an afterthought.

Then the tentacled hanyou flees, possibly unwilling to push his good luck any further, and Kikyou collapses in a heap.

**Farewells**

"There is still a speck of light within the Shikon," Kikyou rasps as Kagome and the others dash to her side. "Protect Kohaku's shard; it is the last."

"I will," Kagome says simply. The clay miko smiles, then after a moment crumbles to dust.

**Restoral**

Kikyou is dead and Inuyasha is grieving, but Kagome has never felt more alive. It is like she had been half-blind and limping for months and has abruptly been restored to full health. The ground beneath her feet hums with life and potential and the sky above whispers of past secrets and future hopes. Power fizzes in her veins and sings in her heart.

For the first time in her life, Kagome is confident in her own strength.

* * *

><p>Ding, dong, Kikyou is dead.<p> 


	83. Hell

**Hell**

...

**Search**

Sesshoumaru knows there must be more to Tenseiga's new attack than the obvious. However he has not the slightest inclination to ask his father for information through the young kami said parent has attached himself to; his sire would likely speak in riddles and utterly frustrate him, much as he did in life. Which leaves his mother.

So the Lord of the West has been seeking out Inukimi, dowager lady of the West, for some time now.

**Scheme**

When Sesshoumaru finally locates the palace he floats up into the sky towards it, his entourage behind him on Ah-Un. Once inside he bluntly confronts his mother, demanding to be told more about both Tenseiga and the Meidou attack.

Inukimi sighs at his poor manners and produces a Meidou stone set in a necklace, tartly informing her son that it was given to her by the Dog General in anticipation of his firstborn asking that very question.

Though, she points out, that in no way excuses his rudeness.

**Theft**

The Meidou stone opens a portal to the Underworld, but in an instant a demon leaps out, seizes Rin and Kohaku and flees back through the portal. Sesshoumaru immediately gives chase: Rin is his to protect, part of his pack and no miserable hell-demon may take her from him.

Kohaku is also currently under his protection, and Rin likes the undead tajina boy.

**Loss**

In the Underworld Rin becomes unresponsive and ceases breathing. Sesshoumaru swiftly slays the Guardian of the Underworld, but Rin still does not reawaken. Hell is an extremely unsuitable environment for fragile humans. Not even Tenseiga does anything, despite the gentle blade broadcasting severe distress at the situation they find themselves in.

**Sorrow**

Sesshoumaru does not want Rin to die. His ward was the first individual to ever love him unconditionally and the little human child is infinitely precious to him. She does not care that he is cold, taciturn, cruel, stubborn and arrogant. She does not fear him. He is Sesshoumaru and for Rin that is more than enough.

**Revival**

Though Tenseiga allows him to restore a multitude of other human souls and return to the world of the living with Kohaku and Rin, his ward remains still and cold. Sesshoumaru is seriously considering departing the palace at full speed to beg his father's fiancé for help –kami abide by different rules than humans or youkai– when his mother steps forward and revives the little girl with her Meidou stone.

The Lord of the West is greatly relieved to discover his ward is none the worse for her ordeal.

**Assumptions**

Inukimi appears to be labouring under the impression that it is Sesshoumaru courting the young miko-kami. As his mother observes the world through mirrors from her lofty palace in the sky, the Lord of the West conceded that such a mistake is likely easily made; the spirit of his sire is after all invisible to all save Kagome.

The daiyoukai does not however allow the error to stand, curtly informing his mother that the female is his half-brother's alpha and therefore family, _not_ a prospective mate, so his involvement with her is purely to ensure the standards of the House of the West are maintained. Though he doubts she believes him.

Sesshoumaru does not reveal the miko's divine nature or her betrothal to his sire. The Dog General can explain himself to his former mate at his leisure once he regains physical form.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru reveals that he does indeed have a heart and Rin's place in it. He does not however tell his mother about his father's current escapades.<p> 


	84. Reflection

**Reflection**

...

**Empty**

Kanna misses Kagura. She can no longer sense her fellow incarnation, which is evidence enough that the wind-witch is dead. The discarded fan lying in a field of flowers and speckled with blood is simply confirmation.

**Liberty**

With Kagura dead and her body nowhere to be seen Kanna suspects the elemental has become one with the wind she so loved. Was that the true nature of the freedom Kagura had been seeking all this time?

**Mourning**

The void child drops the fan into the pool she has spent so many days watching the dealings of other in, bidding a silent farewell to her departed sister. Then Byakuya finds her and passes on a message from Naraku. It seems it is finally time for her to fight her master's opponents head-on.

**Ambush**

The nihility demon lies in wait for the Inu-tachi in a pool, her mirror floating invitingly on the surface to attract their attention. When they arrive -following the scent of her hanyou master- she emerges with the spirit of her mirror to defend her: a reflective demon golem that steals Inuyasha's attacks as he uses them on it.

Kanna would have won in those first instants when she had the element of surprise save for the miko erecting a hasty barrier and the fox kit whisking the party away with his kitsune magic. The void youkai follows after them, her mirror-monster at her heels. She has her orders.

**Doom**

She finds the group hiding in a cave behind another barrier, which her mirror demon swiftly shatters. Inuyasha attacks her creation again and is promptly absorbed, but continues to fight, hurting her. She does not understand his drive, though some distant part of her would like to.

Then Naraku orders her to persist even if it kills her, forbidding her from retreating.

The void child does not want to die, but if it cannot be avoided she will die defiant.

**Consumed**

Kanna pushes closer to the Inu-tachi in spite of her injuries but frustratingly the newly escaped dog hanyou refuses to kill her. Then the miko abruptly draws her own blade and, as Naraku reaches through her to shatter her mirror and end her life, runs the void child through.

Her mirror explodes and the backlash burns Naraku's psyche, destroying the puppetmaster's connection to his incarnation. Kanna falls into darkness, pain consuming her as loneliness utterly consumes her. Purification is more agonising than she had ever believed possible.

* * *

><p>Happy Christmas and Boxing Day to everyone!<p>

Fangs of the Father has been nominated by the Feudal Association in the romance category! Thank-you to whoever nominated me and please vote for me if you can.


	85. Investment

**Investment**

...

**Delay**

Kagome has not killed Kanna, but Naraku's taint was very strong within her and had to be thoroughly burnt out. The void demon is now contained within one of the young kami's time barriers, in stasis until the new deity feels confident enough of her healing and regenerative abilities to reverse the damage the pale girl has suffered.

Considering that up until now Kagome has focused almost exclusively on how her powers can be used in combat, that may take a while.

**Lessons**

All of the time Sango is getting her hirakotsu fixed Kagome spends with Kaede, listening about healing and trying her hand at curing fish and rodents. During the first two days most of her test subjects die quickly, but Kirara is happy to clear up the remains.

**Improvement**

The main difficulty Kagome has with healing is that it requires very little power and considerable control. However with her improved sensitivity, awareness and balance it only takes her a week to acclimatise to the requirements, at which point everything comes together and she can heal on demand.

A good thing, too: she was getting tired of eating fish at every meal.

**Process**

Kagome carefully reverses Kanna's injuries and Naraku's numerous modifications to the void child's genetic imprint –she could never have done this without her modern education– over several days, by the end of which Inuyasha is pacing impatiently and growling about how they really need to get moving as Naraku isn't going to wait for them. The miko ignores him: what she is trying out on Kanna may help her bring back Inutaicsho, who is almost powerful enough to incarnate now he no longer needs to shore up her spiritual integrity every second of the day.

**Result**

By the time the young kami is satisfied with her work Kanna is much younger-looking than she was, barely taller than Shippo: her powers tell her that physical age is the bast balalnce for the former incarnation's actual age and emotional maturity now that her feelings are no longer blocked. Kanna's memories have also been blunted slightly to reduce the likelihood of trauma.

Her work complete, Kagome wakes her patient.

* * *

><p>No, Kanna was not dead, just mostly dead. Kagome fixed her up in no time though.<p> 


	86. Recovery

**Recovery**

...

**Advantage**

Kanna's awakening is fortunately free of complications. Though the void youkai does not even register to her miko senses, she is very much present in what she has privately dubbed her 'kami senses'. One small perk in a morass of responsibilities and disadvantages, perhaps.

**Positive**

The first thing Kagome tells Kanna is that Kagura is in fact hidden, not dead at all. Well, not anymore. Despite having had her emotions completely suppressed ever since being brought into being by Naraku, the miko-kami can tell Kanna cares deeply for her fellow former-incarnation.

**Negative**

The second thing Kagome tells Kanna is that, while unfortunately she can't see her sister now, the two former enemies of the Inu-tachi will be able to reunite after Naraku has been defeated. The void child, now looking barely eight, nods seriously and agrees it is likely for the best.

**Deceit**

Kagome and her companions leave Kanna with Kaede, passing the little youkai off as an orphan they found in the wilderness after Naraku destroyed her village. As a void youkai Kanna lacks any kind of detectable aura, so the elderly one-eyed miko suspects nothing.

Especially since it is Kagome doing the lying.

Though not one member of the Inu-tachi is entirely comfortable with the deception, even Inuyasha agrees that it is for the best.

**Affinity**

The only thing that puzzles Kagome is Dokuseiga's highly uncharacteristic reaction to Kanna. Perhaps the little void youkai reminds him of Rin?

* * *

><p>Kanna recovers and is safely hidden away until later. I'm trying to get this story finished so I can focus more on the longer ones, which shouldn't take too long as there are only ten episodes left...<p> 


	87. Strife

**Strife**

...

**Insult**

Sesshoumaru finds Shishinki to be an ill-mannered irritant, as all of those he has met of his sire's enemies have been. The impudent demon's claim that Tenseiga is just a cast-off of Tessaiga is far more displeasing, even more so than the –unfortunately valid– claim that his father's greatest talent lay in his ability to steal other demons' attacks.

Only the little kami's furious hiss that Shishinki is an ignorant, deceitful moron keeps Sesshoumaru from lashing out at Inuyasha in his anger. Perhaps his temper is not quite as under control as he would like.

**Error**

The daiyoukai has now perfected the Meidou Zangetsuha, which Totosai believes was the real reason he was given Tenseiga in the first place. Sesshoumaru does not tell the swordsmith what he thinks of _that_; Totosai has dropped considerably in his estimation lately. Overly fixated, perhaps, or maybe simply unappreciative of the daiyoukai's better qualities.

**Truth**

The young kami told him after Shishinki's defeat that his honoured father gave him Tenseiga because he recognised that Sesshoumaru was deadly enough in his own right not to need a blade like Tessaiga. So instead his sire gave him a blade that could resurrect the newly dead and slay the undead.

Sesshoumaru concedes his sire was not wrong in doing so; _he_ is the Killing Perfection but his foolish half-brother needs all the help he can get.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru's ego is a force in itself.<p>

I never liked all the palaver about Tenseiga and Tessaiga and the whole 'whose is better/more loved by Daddy' thing the two sons of the Dog General have going on in canon. Mainly because I always felt that Inuyasha got a better deal than his big brother due to being more like said sire. It seemed to me that Inutaisho gave up on Sesshoumaru because, due to the boy taking after his mother in a lot of ways, the older daiyoukai just didn't understand his son. So after dying he puts his eldest through a ridiculous series of trials yet barely makes Inuyasha work for anything.

So yes, in canon I think Sesshoumaru had a right to be peeved by Daddy's attitude. So in my version I made it a bit fairer.


	88. Combat

**Combat**

...

**Battle**

Now that there is only one shard of the Shikon left Sango is more afraid than ever for her brother. When the tachi come across Naraku trying to corner Kohaku the tajiya's heart almost stops. The evil hanyou's taunts fill her with blind fury and she launches her hiraikotsu at him.

To her surprise, the bone boomerang now has its own youki like Tessaiga and Dokuseiga do and actually injures Naraku. The demon who mended it for her clearly knew what he was doing.

**Victory**

Naraku flees a short while later, injured not only by Sango's attack but Inuyasha's adamant barrage and an arrow from Kagome as well. Kohaku flops to the ground once the danger has passed and pants heavily as Shippo hurries over to the miko's back and fishes out a water bottle.

**Unspoken**

As they all sit down and savour their temporary victory Kagome starts cooking lunch and Kohaku explains that his shard is still pure, attributing the miracle to the gem fragment holding the last remnants of Kikyou's power. Sango notices that Kagome looks highly unconvinced but the miko does not contest the younger tajiya's belief. Indeed, the girl says nothing at all throughout the meal and is pensive and distracted during both the cleanup and the rest of the afternoon.

Sango is puzzled but does not try to tease her heart-sister out of her funk: Kagome is probably talking to her fiancé and interrupting would be rude.

**Challenge**

Sesshoumaru showing up halfway through the next day is a surprise, though Kagome seems to have been expecting him seeing how she instantly steps forward and bows.

"How may this one assist Sesshoumau-sama?"

"Watch this Sesshoumaru's ward for him," the daiyoukai rumbles. "This Sesshoumaru challenges Inuyasha for the honour of wielding Tessaiga."

"Are you ever gonna quit trying to take my sword?" the hanyou gripes, but does not back down.

**Concern**

Sango really isn't all that worried as Kagome seems perfectly at ease with the status quo, quietly leading the daiyoukai's ward over to a stand of trees and fishing paper and coloured pencils out of her bag for Rin and Shippo to draw with. When the two brothers disappear however she wonders if her lack of concern may have been a tad premature.

* * *

><p>Sango again, because Sango is as close to normal as it gets in that little group. She and Miroku are the token sane ones, which tell you all you need to know about the others, really.<p> 


	89. Tests

**Tests**

...

**Trick**

Sesshoumaru knows very well that Naraku means him nothing but ill when he offers the daiyoukai a mirror fragment the hanyou claims that, if combined with Tenseiga, will grant the fang the power to steal Tessaiga'a attacks. That does not mean however that he cannot use the opportunity to test Inuyasha's worth and spring the inevitable trap on Naraku afterwards. His half-brother is after all the current heir to the West in spite of his unsatisfactory heritage.

Hopefully his sire and his kami mate will see fit to provide a new heir before his honoured mother tries to force a mate on him, for the good of the West.

**Trap**

Not at all surprisingly, Naraku has done something to the mirror shard so he can sieze control of Tenseiga once the fang mirrors Tessaiga. Rather less surprisingly Inuyasha prevails in the battle for control. The daiyoukai, satisfied his father's blood has finally prevailed within his half-brother, breaks Tenseiga on Tessaiga, transferring the Meidou power to Inuyasha's blade. This also enables them to escape the void they were trapped in.

**Praise**

On returning to the Human realm and reuniting with Rin and the others Sesshoumaru is approached by the young kami, who has in her hands an unexpectedly intact Tenseiga. He accepts the fang and does not object when the young female rises on her toes to plant a kiss on his jaw.

"We are both terribly proud of our Sesshoumaru-sama," his father's betrothed murmurs, her voice singing with fierce joy and vindication.

**Elation**

Sesshoumaru leaves the Inu-tachi with Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un, Totosai trailing behind. While part of him believes he should be too old for his sire's approval to matter that much to him, the rest of him could not care less for propriety and decorum. Finally, after so many disappointments and difficulties, he had his father's approval and praise!

Victory had never been so sweet.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru is all grown up now, but you never really outgrow the desire to be praised by your parents.<p> 


	90. Ties

**Ties**

...

**Pride**

Kagome is pleased when Tenseiga reverts back to normal: the yari slung across his back made him look unbalanced and did not match the rest of his look at all. On Tenseiga however the spear looks completely at home.

Inutaisho is so proud of his eldest in that moment Kagome is amazed the not-quite-ghost can hold himself back from tackle-hugging Sesshoumaru.

**Joy**

The miko-kami remains giddily buoyant for two whole days after the daiyoukai and his entourage leave the area, but Naraku then destroys her good humour by attacking her with a possessed miko. Using the unfortunate Hitomiko as a puppet, the evil hanyou traps Kagome and starts torturing her.

**Purity**

Well aware that her captor's spiritual power means that she will have to get herself out of this one, Kagome calls on her own newly complete miko abilities to kill the spider latched onto the possessed priestess' back. It is an effort, but she manages to kill the creature and free Hitomiko.

**Bindings**

Released, Hitomiko falls to the ground, her injuries swiftly overcoming her. But before the miko dies she warns Kagome that, although the younger woman's spiritual powers are very great, they are also mostly sealed. Kagome will have to counter that sealing if she is to prevail against Naraku.

This is not news to Kagome: Inutaisho has already told her that, as her spiritual power is tied to the Shikon no Tama, Naraku having the jewel seriously reduces what she is capable of. Unfortunate, but there it is.

* * *

><p>So we have the other side of Sesshoumaru's fight with Inuyasha and the next episode. Only nine to go now! I'm really looking forward to finishing this.<p> 


	91. Bakusaiga

**Bakusaiga**

****...

**Ambush**

Sesshoumaru is most displeased when a demon who stinks of Naraku and corrupted Shikon attacks him in a foolish attempt to steal the last jewel shard from Kohaku. Annoyingly however this Magatsuhi has a poison sufficiently potent to injure the Lord of the West.

**Battle**

Inuyasha's arrival on the scene and attempt to offer assistance only irritates the daiyoukai further; he is alpha and has no need of his idiot half-brother's aid to prevail. Healing himself through sheer force of will and drawing Tenseiga, Sesshoumaru attacks Magatsuhi with renewed fervour. The chimerical youkai proves a cunning and dangerous foe however, stabbing the inu-youkai through the chest and engulfing the Lord of the West much as Naraku does to his victims.

**Repudiation**

Sesshoumaru does not lose.

Ever.

Tenseiga proved an effective weapon against Magatsuhi, suggesting he is something akin to the undead, and Sesshoumaru is the most powerful daiyoukai living and he refuses to lose a battle against a corpse with an over-inflated sense of worth. Sesshoumaru will not be defeated!

The blast of power from the stump that remains of his left arm is unexpected but enables him to bend the fight in his favour.

**Ascendance**

The Lord of the West likes his new sword, and not just for its perfect weight and balance: its special ability is to eat away at the wounds it has inflicted on his enemies, biting deep and explosively destroying flesh that youkai regeneration would usually allow to heal.

Having his arm fully restored is also an agreeable outcome of the incident.

* * *

><p>Yes, it has been forever but I've been working on the other stories. At least, that's the reason I'm giving.<p>

Anyway, Sesshoumaru gets his arm back and a brand new blade. He also gets to show of his innate superiority.


	92. Interlude

**Interlude**

...

**Duties**

With Kohaku unconscious and Rin left in the care of the Inutachi while Sesshoumaru chases after Magatsuhi with the single-minded ferocity of a daiyoukai whose pride has been bruised, Kagome steers the group back to Kaede's village. She has an entrance exam coming up so she can change schools for the coming year and needs to return to the future so she can take it.

Besides, Kanna is there and Rin will likely enjoy having another girl to play with.

**Rest**

On journeying through the well and finding her home deserted, Kagome takes a long bath, puts her feudal outfit to wash and sprawls out on top of her decadently comfortable mattress. Travelling for months at a time in the Sengoku Jidai has given her a solid appreciation for modern comforts.

Dokuseiga stands rigidly to attention by her bedroom door and Inutaisho snuggles up against her back, face buried in her hair and arms firmly wrapped around her middle. She may be barely sixteen but in the past twelve months she has gone from blithe and rather oblivious teen to responsible adult.

Responsible parent to a young kitsune and happily betrothed woman, even.

**Authority**

Inuyasha wakes her from her slumber several hours later: he tries to tell her to stay in the modern era until after Naraku is defeated, citing the seal on her holy powers as justification. Kagome firmly refuses and gently scolds him, reasserting her authority. The inu-hanyou backs down reluctantly, muttering _sotto voce_ about 'stubborn bitches'.

The miko tactfully does not 'sit' him for the insult; she recognises that, as an inu, he does not consider his words to be offensive in the slightest.

**Forgetfulness**

To reach the exam she has to travel a long way by train and stay overnight in a hotel, but Kagome has so much experience in packing light, timeliness and double-checking everything that she leaves nothing behind. She does almost fail to pick up her train ticket, but Inutaisho reminds her of the 'authorisation chit' as she leaves the shrine, so she has time to dash back up the steps to fetch it.

The Dog General is utterly fascinated by the idea and reality of a railway network and has made an effort to learn how it works.

* * *

><p>Last trip home before the big battle. Only six or seven episodes left! I wonder if I'll finish at a round 100 chapters or run over a bit... run over, most likely. I need to finish things off properly and create space for the sequel. Which WILL be a YuYuHashuko crossover, post-canon. That'll likely not get started for a good long while though, as I have other things to finish off first.<p> 


	93. Byakuya

**Byakuya**

...

**Terminal**

Byakuya knows he is Naraku's final detachment. He also knows –in complete and unforgiving detail– _exactly_ what happened to each of his elder siblings.

**Sabotage**

Death being inevitable – the young youkai is not stupid– Byakuya sets out quite meticulously to do as little as he can possible get away with. Mediocrity has a certain security to it.

His illusions are truly exceptional when he chooses to exert himself, but when ordered to ensnare and delay the daiyoukai Sesshoumaru he is deliberately less than thorough and allows his victim to become aware of being snared in dreaming.

For all his artistic soul protests and rails against such inelegance and criminal lack of subtlety.

**Apathy**

Byakuya has been the only detachment Naraku has left since shortly after his creation; the only one of his siblings he has met in person –however briefly– was Kanna. Magatsuhi doesn't count, being independent and born of the Shinkon.

Being the minion of a lunatic hanyou bent on omnipotence has absolutely nothing to recommend it. No wonder Naraku had to create detachments: no-one sane would ever sign up to serve him.

**Weariness**

Mugen no Byakuya, Weaver of Dreams, can hardly wait for the Shikon no Miko to get her act together and kill Naraku. Hopefully his next life will be better than the current one.

* * *

><p>Meet the last detachment. Such a cynical realist, the unfortunate Byakuya. You can't really blame him though.<p> 


	94. Violence

**Violence**

...

**Chaos**

Kagome returns to the Sengoku Jidai just in time to see everything fall apart around her: Moryomaru is in the process of kidnapping Kohaku for his jewel shard. The boy jumps off a cliff in an attempt to stall the evil demon and is only saved when Sesshoumaru abruptly arrives. There is a fierce and rather confusing battle that ends only when Magatsuhi flees while claiming to be indestructible.

**Crippled**

Kagome doesn't take part in the fight at all. Magatsuhi is the demon Midoriko created the Shinkon to defeat, the one whose soul was bound within the gem. It is he who is keeping most of her holy powers sealed away.

**Distraction**

After Magatsuhi vanishes Sesshoumaru abruptly dashes off towards the village. Knowing that only danger to Rin would get the daiyoukai to depart that quickly without even sniping at Inuyasha, the temporally-displaced miko hurries after him, Inuyasha right behind her.

Naraku however appears out of nowhere and tries to hold the young kami hostage. Kagome may have only a fraction of her now-stable miko powers accessible to her at the moment but Dokuseiga works just as well as ever and there is nothing she wants more right now than to melt the evil hanyou into a bubbling puddle of goo.

Her efforts ensure Naraku's attention is completely focussed on fending her off, enabling Inuyasha, Tessaiga and Sango to break through the barrier Naraku erected and join the fight.

**Setback**

Kagome can sense the corrupted shikon buried in her foe's left shoulder and loudly directs her allies to direct their attacks there. They do manage to strike, but unfortunately find that the almost completed jewel is protected by a heavily armoured shell. Naraku, angry and wrong-footed, tosses Kagome aside into a tree as she melts several tentacles to nothing and lunges for Kohaku.

**Surprise **

The shard in Kohaku's neck is still pure; Kagome has fed energy through it for so long to keep it pure that she can do so even at a distance. Naraku is very nearly purified completely by the burst of holy energy but snatches the shard away with a tentacle at the last minute and retreats to a safe distance.

* * *

><p>Only five more episodes to go! The final confrontation approacheth! I may actually finish this with 100 or 101 chapters after all...<p> 


	95. Precipice

**Precipice**

...

**Horror**

Sango is devastated by her little brother's final death and Inuyasha tries to destroy Naraku with Tessaiga's newly acquired Meidou attack, but it is in vain. The evil hanyou taunts them cruelly and leaves, cackling insanely all the while.

**Miracle**

Kagome ignores Naraku; she has a more important matter to tend to. She shoved so much unrefined power through Kohaku that it has prevented his soul from departing his body and the mixture of kami energy and holy ki is regenerating the damage and restoring his body to how it was before his resurrection at Naraku's hands. Dokuseiga watches curiously and Inutaisho bounces lightly on the balls of his feet in suppressed glee as the dead body glows white and takes a gasping breath.

Kohaku is really alive again!

**Strategy**

Naraku having retreated, probably to absorb the Shikon fully and recover from almost being killed, Kagome leads the battered yet somewhat hopeful group of fighters back to the village where Miroku, Rin and Shippo are still unconscious. She needs to talk to Sesshoumaru and make plans with him to defeat Naraku once and for all. She also needs to make plans for after the battle; Inutaisho is pretty much ready to fully reincarnate now but he won't let her start the process until after the battle as it will leave the both of them weak and vulnerable for days. The Dog General won't leave his betrothed unprotected at such a time and takes her wellbeing very, very seriously.

**Arrangements**

With Sesshoumaru agreeing to stay close until the evil hanyou is destroyed, Kagome risks one last short trip home to graduate from middle school. She is relieved to hear that her grades on the exams mean that she has made the middle school wait list in spite of her frequent absences: she was already resigned to attending a less prestigious institution to finish her education but she has at least managed to make the grade.

The young kami also makes time to buy clothing for her ghostly fiancé so she can introduce him to her mother. While the daiyoukai can only assume physical form through his mokomoko for a few hours at a time, he agreeably attends dinner with her family dressed in modern clothing. He succeeds in charming his betrothed's mother, entertaining her little brother and even manages to gain her grandfather's grudging approval of the match.

His true name and identity in relation to Inuyasha is not touched upon; Kagome feels that would be one surprise too many at the moment.

**Hope**

As Kagome returns to the feudal era for what may be the last time, she prays that she will see her family again.

* * *

><p>Here we go: let battle commence!<p>

I can hardly believe I'm almost at the end of this...


	96. Committed

**Committed**

...

**Soft**

Sesshoumaru acknowledges only within the privacy of his own mind how inexplicably precious his ward is to him. Byakuya's abduction of said little girl on the eve of battle sets the daiyoukai on edge, but does not drive him to act rashly. Tomorrow he will slay Naraku and retrieve Rin.

At dawn Sesshoumaru waits only until his sire's mate and her pack are awake and ready to begin battle before hurrying ahead, following his ward's scent.

**Hunt **

Naraku, having settled down to absorb the Tama in a nearby clearing, now resembles a truly massive spider. Sesshoumaru does not hesitate to cut his way into the hanyou's body as he follows the faint trace of Rin's personal scent.

Byakuya, hovering near his master, the daiyoukai ignores entirely.

**Encounter**

After a short while within the fleshy labyrinth of Naraku's body fighting off a variety of lesser youkai, Sesshoumaru encounters his father's little kami. The female falls from above, landing with a crack of breaking bones and a groan; the daiyoukai defends his petite packmate until she recovers her senses and heals her injury with the bright, sparkling power that is unlike anything else he has ever sensed before. The two then join forces in order to find Rin and the rest of Kagome's pack.

**Blood**

They find the others just as Magatsuhi is trying to kill Rin whilst possessing Inuyasha. Infuriated by his half-brother's weakness Sesshoumaru attacks the inu-hanyou, but the dog-eared male manages to briefly regain control of himself and begs Kagome to return Tessaiga to him so he can fight of the possession. The miko complies and Inuyasha manages to cast out the ancient entity; Sesshoumaru promptly slays it with Tenseiga for its assault on his ward.

* * *

><p>And the fight is on! I decided not to cover the whole fight but stick to one or two points of view, since my story is largely relational rather than action-based. This way Sesshoumaru gets to stand in the spotlight again, possibly for the last time. In this story, anyway.<p> 


	97. Victory

**Victory**

...

**Strength**

As Magatsuhi fades away Kagome feels her holy powers surge through her in a blinding rush. However by the time she comes back to herself Miroku has wandered off Amaterasu-knows-where, as have Sango and Sesshoumaru, though the latter is likely in persuit of the Naraku puppet that snatched Rin while they were all distracted by Magatsuhi.

Kagome persuades Inuyasha to help her hunt down the monk before he does something stupid. As Sango has recently accepted his suit, the tajiya would be very unhappy were Miroku to die before making an honest woman of her.

**Hit**

On finding Miroku, who has found and is confronting the real Naraku, Kagome aims with care and fires an arrow of pure holy energy at her enemy, severely injuring him and causing the vast, fleshy cavern around them to begin disintegrating.

**Chase**

Her miko ki glowing around her and purifying the miasma Naraku is now releasing, Kagome relentlessly attacks the evil hanyou with Dokuseiga, channelling more holy energy through the bone blade for added effect. She can feel the Shikon no Tama within him and is also making an effort to channel as much holy energy as she can into it to counter the jewel's ever-increasing corruption.

As she pants for breath between strikes a familiar presence comes up behind her and Inutaisho –who has spent the entire battle warning her of blows aimed at her from outside her field of vision– murmurs that Sesshoumaru has used Bakusaiga's full destructive power upon Naraku's outer form.

**Strike**

The person behind her is Inuyasha and the two attack Naraku together, the dog-eared hanyou using a refined form of the Meidou Zangetsusha in the same instant as Kagome sheathes her blade in order to fire another holy arrow.

The combined blast leaves Naraku horribly weakened, his body unable to properly reform as it continues to suffer under Bakusaiga's viciously devouring attack, but fails to outright kill him.

Then Byakuya steps out of nowhere and stabs her in the back.

**Final**

Inuyasha kills the last of Naraku's incarnations in a single swift blow and the youkai dies with a smile on his face. Kagome can't feel an injury where the blade landed, but Inutaisho recommends caution nonetheless. The rest of the group congregates around them as Naraku's outer body collapses entirely and the young kami steels herself for the final rush.

She aims with her bow and pierces the now-exposed shikon with a pure bolt of roiling pink energy and everything around her goes black.

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger! Aren't I evil?<p> 


	98. Full Circle

**Full Circle**

…

**Jewel**

Kagome comes to herself floating in a starry void with Inutaisho's arms wrapped firmly around her waist. The latter is a great comfort and she squeezes his hands in thanks before turning her attention to the four-way argument ringing in her ears.

The miko-kami has put a lot of thought into the problem of making a 'pure' wish and the nature of the Shikon no Tama, eventually settling on the Shinto concept of Naohi: Courage, Friendship, Wisdom and Love, which when balanced grant great power. This incidentally confirms her own belief that, to a truly capable being, the jewel is worthless; a mere crutch.

**Wish**

Taking a deep breath and snuggling into her daiyoukai betrothed's arms, Kagome makes her wish:

"The Shikon no Tama has served its purpose and is no longer necessary, so let it be unmade."

Delighted laughter echoes in her ears as the chilly void around her twists and dissolves into a familiar blue-lit tunnel.

**Home**

Usually landing in the Bone-Eater's Well is reasonably gentle, but this time Kagome hits the ground hard and at an angle, sending her tumbling sideways and sprawling to a stop in a squashed, breathless heap up against one of the walls. Trying to sit upright in the cramped space, the young kami realises that the reason for the truly awful landing was that, this time, she is not the only person stuck down here. The volley of disgusted sneezes was quite possibly the most wonderful thing she'd ever heard and the imposing figure blocking what little light there made her heart leap for joy.

**Completion**

Inutaisho pushes himself away from the inner wall of the well, dusting himself off in between sneezes and grumbling quietly about how disgusting the modern era smells. Kagome barely gives the daiyoukai time to realise his own newly-restored existence before squealing ecstatically and jumping him.

"You're really here!" she burbles, arms wrapped around his neck and crying tears of joy into his collar.

The Dog General hugs her back just as tightly, shifting an arm under her thighs to better support her weight, not caring that she is spattered with mud, gore and miscellaneous nameless fluids from the battle they have just left.

"Mine," he croons in her ear, pulling her closer as his voice drops an octave into an almost wordless growl. "_Mine_!"

* * *

><p>Yes! It's all over (bar the tidying up of course)! I might stick an epilogue in or just leave as is, but I've finished!<p> 


	99. Sequel

**Sequel**

Yes, a sequel to Fangs of the Father is now up on my profile!

It's called 'Miko and Mate' and will be following the adventures of Kagome and Inutaisho in the modern era as they meet the former Spirit Detectives and the inhabitants of Makai. I hope everyone enjoys it!


End file.
